Compliance Radar
Who was sanctioned, and for what?
Fines, court rulings and incidents from Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa: 2,207 cases from 44 jurisdictions, each with an official source and checked against that source before publication. Filter by country, area of law and sector. Click a chart to drill down one level.
Click a bar to drill down one level.
Where?
by regionAll jurisdictions
- EU €11.3bn 85 % · 222 cases
- South Korea €689.9m 5 % · 9 cases
- United Kingdom €476.7m 4 % · 17 cases
- Norway €421.7m 3 % · 3 cases
- USA €211.7m 2 % · 7 cases
- Brazil €90.8m 1 % · 18 cases
- Switzerland €55.6m 0 % · 10 cases
- Canada €36m 0 % · 6 cases
- Singapore €15.9m 0 % · 4 cases
- Iceland €11.2m 0 % · 2 cases
- 3 more€13.2m
What for?
by topicWho?
by sectorAll sectors
- Media and online platforms €4.48bn 34 % · 28 cases
- Retail and e-commerce €2.05bn 15 % · 47 cases
- Energy and utilities €1.44bn 11 % · 30 cases
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals €951.5m 7 % · 20 cases
- Food and agriculture €915.8m 7 % · 37 cases
- Automotive €783.9m 6 % · 15 cases
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering €689.8m 5 % · 20 cases
- Telecoms, IT and software €520.9m 4 % · 23 cases
- Construction and real estate €437.6m 3 % · 34 cases
- Financial services and insurance €400m 3 % · 15 cases
- 6 more€685.9m
When?
per year, by date of decision| Period | Cases | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 32 | €481.3m |
| 2023 | 61 | €1.16bn |
| 2024 | 66 | €4.27bn |
| 2025 | 91 | €6.53bn |
| 2026 | 72 | €914.8m |
322 cases
24 Sep 2026 Plaček Pet Products s.r.o.Plaček Pet Products: 36.4 million CZK for minimum prices on pet food €1.49m
From January 2013 to March 2022, the distributor of premium pet food and pet supplies imposed minimum resale prices on its retailers and threatened sanctions if they were undercut. In a settlement procedure, the Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) imposed 36.438 million CZK; the company ended the conduct after the inspection and introduced a compliance programme.
Never enforce recommended retail prices with supply stops or sanctions – sales teams need clear rules on this.
Price requirements imposed on retailers in sales
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Verbot vertikaler Preisbindung (tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Termination immediately after the inspection, information of customers about free pricing, full cooperation, settlement and newly introduced compliance programme.
- Published
- 24 Sep 2026
Original amount 36,438,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Sep 2026.
- Distributor krmiv pro domácí zvířata dostal pokutu 36 milionů korun za diktování cen maloobchodníkům Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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24 Sep 2026 M&J GroupCMA: fine against construction firm for concealing evidence during an inspection €29,075
During an inspection as part of an investigation into bid rigging, a work mobile phone and documents were removed from the premises on the instructions of a manager, and possession of a work mobile phone was denied. The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed a fine of 25,000 GBP on M&J.
Dawn raid training is mandatory: removing mobile phones or documents during an inspection obstructs the investigation, even when acting on instructions.
Correct conduct during inspections (dawn raids), no removal of evidence
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Section 40A(1) Competition Act 1998
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Culpability
- intentional
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not reported here.
- Published
- 24 Sep 2026
Original amount 25,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Sep 2026.
- CMA, Pressemitteilung zu M&J Group (Entscheidung 2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link
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24 Sep 2026 Kalibrate Canada (Tochter der Kalibrate Technologies Ltd.)Canada: Kalibrate must stop sharing retailer-specific petrol station data Order
Kalibrate's "Market Intelligence" product passed on retailer-specific sales data from petrol stations that allowed conclusions to be drawn about competitors and could facilitate coordinated pricing behaviour. In an agreement registered with the Competition Tribunal, Kalibrate undertakes to supply only aggregated and time-delayed data – the first case under the reformed abuse of dominance rules.
Providers of market and price data must ensure that their products do not disseminate individualised competitor data.
- Authority / court
- Competition Bureau Canada (Consent Agreement beim Competition Tribunal)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Abuse-of-dominance-Bestimmungen des Competition Act (Fassung 2023)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Published
- 24 Sep 2026
- Competition Bureau secures agreement with Kalibrate to protect competition in the retail gas industry Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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22 Sep 2026 Carioca Christiani-Nielsen Engenharia S.A.Carioca Engenharia pays 6.13 million BRL in CADE settlement on construction tenders €1.04m
Carioca Christiani-Nielsen Engenharia S.A. concluded a single settlement (Termo de Compromisso de Cessação) with the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE, Brazilian competition authority) covering four proceedings concerning alleged collusion in public tenders for infrastructure projects (metro, airports operated by Infraero, the rail company CPTM and the transport authority DNIT). The company admitted its participation, allegedly pays 6,134,676.92 BRL in instalments to the Fund for Diffuse Rights (FDD) and waives court and administrative disputes on these matters. Together with the company’s earlier settlements with CADE, its contributions exceed 90 million BRL.
A settlement covering all pending cartel cases creates legal certainty but requires an admission, payment and full cooperation.
Bid rigging in public construction contracts
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei nº 12.529/2011 (Lei de Defesa da Concorrência), Termo de Compromisso de Cessação
- Action
- Other
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Published
- 22 Sep 2026
Original amount 6,134,676.92 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Sep 2026.
- CADE – Cade celebra acordo com construtora em quatro investigações de cartel (22.09.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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22 Sep 2026 Empire Company LimitedSobeys parent Empire: consent agreement on property controls in grocery retail Order
Empire Company Limited, parent company of grocery banners such as Sobeys, Farm Boy, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Marché Bonichoix and Les Marchés Tradition, reached an agreement with the Competition Bureau on its use of property controls in the Canadian grocery sector. The Commissioner of Competition filed it with the Competition Tribunal as a registered consent agreement on 22 September 2026. In June 2026 the Bureau had obtained court orders to advance its investigation into these property controls.
Use and exclusivity restrictions on property can be challenged under competition law where they make it harder for competitors to access sites.
- Authority / court
- Competition Bureau Canada (Consent Agreement, registriert beim Competition Tribunal)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Competition Act; beim Competition Tribunal registriertes Consent Agreement (Paragraf in den zugänglichen Quellen nicht genannt)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 22 Sep 2026
- Competition Tribunal: Empire Company Limited – Registered Consent Agreement (eingereicht 22.09.2026) Official register or notice
- Competition Bureau: Competition Bureau reaches agreement with Sobeys' parent company Empire to address grocery property controls (22.09.2026) Press release of an authority
- Competition Bureau: Backgrounder – agreement with Empire on grocery property controls (22.09.2026) Press release of an authority
- Competition Bureau: Competition Bureau advances investigation into Sobeys' use of property controls across Canada (22.06.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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17 Sep 2026 Lesy České republiky, s.p. (Lesy ČR)Lesy ČR: 17.3 million CZK for export ban on wood chips €710,383
From July 2021 to July 2024, the state forestry company contractually prohibited a customer from actively and passively exporting wood chips and logging residues and secured the ban with a right of termination. The Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) considered this a restriction of competition by object under Czech and EU law and imposed 17.268 million CZK (first instance, not final).
State-owned companies are also subject to competition law – have export and resale bans in framework agreements legally reviewed before signing.
Anticompetitive clauses in supply contracts
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV (Exportverbot)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Mitigating circumstances
- Voluntary termination immediately after proceedings were opened.
- Published
- 17 Sep 2026
Original amount 17,268,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Sep 2026.
- Lesy ČR banned wood-chip exports and were imposed a fine of more than CZK 17 million Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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9 Sep 2026 Moorim P&P, Moorim Paper, Hansol Paper u. a. (6 Unternehmen)Bid-rigging for printing paper for Nongmin News: six paper firms sanctioned €1.93m
According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), six manufacturers and distributors of printing paper fixed in advance the winning bidder, cover bidders and bid prices in six tenders issued by the publisher Nongmin News Corp. between June 2021 and November 2024; the average winning bid rate was around 96.2%, compared with 87.6% in 2018 to 2020. The KFTC issued corrective orders, imposed fines totalling KRW 3,009 million (Moorim SP KRW 59 million, Moorim Paper KRW 573 million, Moorim P&P KRW 948 million, Hansol Paper KRW 556 million, Hankuk Paper KRW 515 million, Hongwon Paper KRW 358 million).
Competition compliance reviews should always cover tender business as well as general pricing, because collusion there often runs in parallel.
Bid-rigging in tenders
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 40 Abs. 1 Nr. 8 MRFTA (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Published
- 9 Sep 2026
Original amount 3,009,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Sep 2026.
- KFTC press release (EN), 10 Sep 2026: KFTC Sanctions Bid-Rigging in Nongmin News Corp. Printing Paper Tenders Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 09.09.2026: 농민신문사 발주 인쇄용지 입찰담합 제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF) mit Bußgeldtabelle je Unternehmen und Rechtsgrundlage Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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2 Sep 2026 Cervejaria Petrópolis S.A. (em recuperação judicial); Imcopa Importação, Exportação e Indústria de Óleos S.A.CADE fines Cervejaria Petrópolis for early closing of Imcopa takeover €231,813
The Tribunal of the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE, Brazilian competition authority) unanimously found that Cervejaria Petrópolis had taken control of the oil producer Imcopa before the legally required notification (gun jumping) and imposed a fine of 1,382,418.22 BRL. According to the investigation, the acquisition was completed on 19 March 2024 but notified only on 9 April 2024; CADE itself cleared the transaction without conditions in April 2024. The argument that the change of control resulted from court decisions in the judicial reorganisation proceedings (recuperação judicial) did not persuade the authority. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Acquisitions in a restructuring or insolvency context, too, may be completed only after notification and clearance.
Standstill obligation before clearance in merger control (gun jumping)
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Art. 88 § 3 Lei nº 12.529/2011 (Lei de Defesa da Concorrência)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Published
- 8 Sep 2026
Original amount 1,382,418.22 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 2 Sep 2026.
- Diário Oficial da União, 09.09.2026 – Ata da 271ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento do CADE, Procedimento Administrativo de Apuração de Ato de Concentração nº 08700.002250/2024-84 Official register or notice
- CADE – Cade reconhece prática de gun jumping entre Cervejaria Petrópolis e Imcopa (08.09.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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26 Aug 2026 O2 Czech Republic a.s.; SHERLOG Technology, a.s.O2 Czech Republic and SHERLOG: 280 million CZK for customer allocation in vehicle tracking €11.7m
From December 2012 to June 2022, the two companies allocated customers for vehicle tracking and electronic logbook services between themselves and coordinated bids, including in public tenders. At first instance, the Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) fined O2 262.32 million CZK and SHERLOG 18.357 million CZK and imposed a six-month ban on public contracts; for O2, the fine was increased instead of a procurement ban.
Do not let sales cooperation with competitors turn into customer allocation – e-mail arrangements about individual tenders are the typical evidence.
Coordination with cooperation partners on customers and tenders
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 26 Aug 2026
Original amount 280,677,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Aug 2026.
- Fines exceeding CZK 280 million imposed on O2 Czech Republic and SHERLOG Technology for cartel agreement Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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26 Aug 2026 Wolt DenmarkWolt: Competition Council finds abuse of dominant position vis-à-vis restaurants Order
In 2022–2024, the delivery service used a standard clause to prohibit restaurants from being cheaper on their own channels than on Wolt, while at the same time being able to grant discounts without consultation and to compensate customers up to 400 DKK at the restaurants’ expense. The Konkurrencerådet (Danish Competition Council) ordered the practice to cease, required Wolt to inform all restaurants and intends to enforce a fine through the courts.
Platforms with a high market share should have parity clauses and unilateral cost shifting in standard terms reviewed under competition law.
- Authority / court
- Konkurrencerådet (Danish Competition Council)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Konkurrenceloven; AEUV Art. 102
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Published
- 26 Aug 2026
- KFST – Wolt has abused its dominant position (26.08.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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25 Aug 2026 Elizabeta Promet d.o.o., SolinCroatia: 10,000 EUR against Elizabeta Promet for deliveries without a written contract €10,000
As a buyer with significant bargaining power, the company from Solin purchased agricultural and food products from two suppliers without written contracts. The Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (Croatian Competition Agency, AZTN) considered this an unfair trading practice and, taking mitigating circumstances into account, imposed 10,000 EUR (date = publication).
In food purchasing, the mere absence of written supply contracts is an infringement – a simple contract standard prevents this.
Written form for supply contracts in food purchasing
- Authority / court
- Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (AZTN)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Zakon o zabrani nepoštenih trgovačkih praksi u lancu opskrbe hranom (ZNTP)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Mitigating circumstances
- Several mitigating circumstances taken into account
- Published
- 25 Aug 2026
- Provedba ZNTP-a: AZTN kaznio ELIZABETU PROMET d.o.o., Solin s 10.000,00 eura zbog nametanja nepoštenih trgovačkih praksi Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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25 Aug 2026 Kommunal Landspensjonskasse Gjensidig Forsikringsselskap (KLP)KLP: binding commitments after suspected abuse in municipal pensions Order
Konkurransetilsynet (Norwegian Competition Authority) made commitments offered by KLP binding and thereby closed its investigation into a possible abuse of a dominant position in public occupational pensions for municipalities. The authority was concerned that, from 2019, when a competitor entered the market, KLP had systematically discouraged municipalities from putting their occupational pension schemes out to tender; KLP now undertakes to refrain from such influence and to remedy the effects of its earlier practice. No infringement was conclusively established and no fine was imposed.
Dominant companies must not use close customer relationships to deter customers from running tenders – even a suspicion of this can lead to binding obligations.
Conduct of dominant companies towards public purchasers
- Authority / court
- Konkurransetilsynet
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- § 12 Abs. 3 i. V. m. § 11 konkurranseloven; Art. 54 EWR-Abkommen
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Financial services and insurance
- Published
- 2 Sep 2026
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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19 Aug 2026 Sioux Erosion Control Inc.DOJ: jury convicts erosion control firm of price fixing in Oklahoma road construction –
A jury found Sioux Erosion Control guilty of having fixed prices for erosion control services, allocated contracts regionally and rigged bids on publicly funded road construction projects in Oklahoma (more than 100 million USD) from 2017 to 2023. Sentencing was still pending; the decision is not final.
Subcontractors in public road construction are also targeted by prosecutors.
Price-fixing and territorial agreements for subcontracted services in road construction
- Authority / court
- U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Section 1 Sherman Act
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not reported here.
- Published
- 20 Aug 2026
- U.S. Department of Justice, Pressemitteilung zu Sioux Erosion Control (Entscheidung 2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Direct link
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17 Aug 2026 Pluxee Česká republika a.s.; Edenred CZ s.r.o.; Up Česká republika s.r.o.Meal voucher cartel: 279 million CZK against Pluxee, Edenred and Up upheld with final effect €11.5m
From 2004 to 2018, the three issuers of paper meal vouchers coordinated with retail chains how many vouchers would be accepted per purchase. The President of the Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) dismissed the appeals against the recalculation of the fines: Pluxee 132.271 million, Edenred 101.94 million and Up 44.941 million CZK, a total of 279.152 million CZK.
Coordinating seemingly technical conditions such as acceptance limits is also a cartel – industry discussions need clear boundaries.
Coordination of terms and conditions among competitors
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Financial services and insurance
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 17 Aug 2026
Original amount 279,152,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Aug 2026.
- Chairman of the Czech Competition Authority Definitively Confirms Fines for Meal Voucher Issuers’ Cartel Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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14 Aug 2026 Henkel AG & Co. KGaAHenkel/Liquid Nails: court blocks takeover of Loctite’s main competitor Order
Henkel wanted to buy the construction adhesive brand Liquid Nails for 725 million USD from the financial investor American Industrial Partners, thereby taking over the main competitor of its Loctite brand. After a seven-day trial, the federal court, on application by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), issued a permanent injunction against the acquisition.
Acquiring the closest competitor carries a high risk of prohibition, even at a moderate deal volume.
- Authority / court
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (auf Antrag der FTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Section 7 Clayton Act; Section 13(b) FTC Act (Permanent Injunction)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 17 Aug 2026
- Statement on FTC Win Blocking Loctite, Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive Merger (17.08.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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13 Aug 2026 „О-Рент“ ЕООД (sowie „Инжконсулт“ ЕООД und „Земекоп“ ЕООД)Construction machinery cartel: fine for O-Rent, compliance programme for all participants €2,403
The Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) found a cartel in public tenders for mining and construction machinery (price fixing and market sharing, Art. 15 ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act, Art. 101 TFEU). Inzhkonsult and Zemekop, as a single undertaking, were exempted from the fine; O-Rent received a sanction of 2,403.07 EUR. All three companies must introduce a competition law compliance programme within 60 days and report on it.
The authority now expressly requires compliance programmes – anyone bidding in tenders should have one before it is ordered.
Competition law in tenders; compliance programme
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 15 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und 2 ZZK; Art. 101 Abs. 1 lit. a und c AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Immunity from fines for two participants (leniency programme)
- Published
- 20 Aug 2026
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 797 от 13.08.2026; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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13 Aug 2026 Apple Inc., Apple GmbHBundeskartellamt: Apple aligns tracking prompts for its own and third-party apps Order
The Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office) declared binding commitments by Apple on its App Tracking Transparency Framework (ATTF), closing its proceedings under Section 19a(2) of the German Competition Act (GWB) and Article 102 TFEU. According to the preliminary assessment, third-party apps had to obtain, for personalised advertising, an additional and more off-putting consent prompt prescribed by Apple, while Apple used a prompt of its own for its own services; in future the prompts will be aligned so that content, wording and design are neutral, and app providers will be able to combine the required prompts more easily.
Platform privacy rules must be equally strict for a company's own and third-party services, otherwise they become a competition problem themselves.
Equal treatment of own and third-party services in consent prompts
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- § 19a Abs. 2 GWB, Art. 102 AEUV (Verpflichtungszusagen, Az. B7-54/25)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 17 Aug 2026
- Bundeskartellamt: Apple ändert Regeln für personalisierte Werbung in Apps (17.08.2026) Press release of an authority
- Bundeskartellamt, Beschluss B7-54/25 vom 13.08.2026 (öffentliche Version) Decision of an authority
- Bundeskartellamt, Entscheidungsdatenbank: B7-54/25, Verpflichtungszusagen, Entscheidungsdatum 13.08.2026 Enforcement database of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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7 Aug 2026 Hair-Line Kft.Hair-Line: 68.5 million HUF for price and territorial restrictions on hairdressing supplies €187,929
In 2018–2022, the distributor of professional hairdressing products (Alfaparf, Yellow) determined the prices at which its territorial representatives were allowed to sell to salons and retailers and restricted passive sales outside the territories. Under a settlement and with a commitment to a compliance programme, the Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (Hungarian Competition Authority, GVH) imposed 68.5 million HUF.
Commercial agent systems with territorial protection must not restrict resale prices or passive sales either.
Price and territorial restrictions in the distribution system
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (GVH)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Ungarisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Verbot wettbewerbsbeschränkender Vereinbarungen
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Cooperation, acknowledgement in the settlement and commitment to a comprehensive compliance programme.
- Published
- 7 Aug 2026
Original amount 68,500,000 HUF, converted at the ECB reference rate of 7 Aug 2026.
- Korlátozta a versenyt az egyik ismert hazai fodrászcikk forgalmazó, komoly GVH-bírság lett a vége Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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6 Aug 2026 AS Asphaltstraßensanierung GmbH, BITUNOVA GmbH, Kutter Spezialstraßenbau GmbH & Co. KG, Possehl Construction GmbH (inkl. VSI), Liesen…alles für den Bau GmbH, OAT GmbH/Otto Alte-Teigeler GmbHBundeskartellamt: 60.3 million EUR against DSK road repair cartel €60.3m
From around 2010 to September 2019, six suppliers of thin cold-laid asphalt surface layers (Dünne Asphaltdeckschichten in Kaltbauweise, DSK) allocated customers – primarily public contracting authorities – and contracts among themselves nationwide and coordinated prices. Germany's Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) imposed fines of around 60.3 million EUR; all proceedings ended in settlements.
Anyone who "shares out" public contracts regionally risks fines running into millions – calculations and bids must always be prepared independently.
Customer allocation and bid rigging in public contracts
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB, Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency bonus for Possehl/VSI, Bitunova, Kutter and AS; settlement
- Published
- 6 Aug 2026
- Bußgelder wegen Kartellabsprachen im Bereich Straßenreparatur mit DSK Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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6 Aug 2026 „Чили Хилс Фудс“ ООД (Chili Hills Foods OOD)Chili Hills Foods: 20,022 EUR for false copying allegations against competitor €20,022
From May 2024, in social media videos (campaign ‘Създавай! Не копирай!’), the company falsely accused a competing family business for hot chillies of having stolen its business, ideas and concept, and promoted the clips partly through paid advertising. The Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) regarded this as unfair damage to reputation (Art. 30 ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act), imposed 4% of 2025 net turnover (500,555 EUR), i.e. 20,022 EUR, and ordered immediate cessation. Appeals have been lodged against the decision.
Allegations against competitors on social media are only permissible if based on verifiable facts – paid reach aggravates the sanction.
Statements about competitors on social media
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Art. 30 ZZK (Schädigung des guten Rufs eines Wettbewerbers)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Published
- 19 Aug 2026
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 743 от 06.08.2026; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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4 Aug 2026 AS "Latvijas valsts meži"7.86 million EUR against Latvijas valsts meži for breach of competitive neutrality €7.86m
From 2020 to April 2026, on the basis of old long-term logging contracts, the state forestry group supplied six wood processors with guaranteed quantities of roundwood outside public auctions, while all others could only buy through auctions. In its first decision on the competitive neutrality of public undertakings, the Konkurences padome (Latvian Competition Council) imposed 7,859,606.89 EUR and required equal sales conditions for all qualified bidders.
State-owned companies must allocate resources without discrimination – review historical special contracts regularly for competitive neutrality.
- Authority / court
- Konkurences padome (Lettischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Art. 14.1 Konkurences likums (Wettbewerbsneutralität)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Public sector
- Published
- 13 Aug 2026
- Konkurences padome konstatē konkurences neitralitātes pārkāpumu AS „Latvijas valsts meži“ darbībā (13.08.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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21 Jul 2026 Maxxis International GmbH, Best4Tires Berlin GmbH, Reifen Müller GmbH & Co. KGBundeskartellamt: fines over resale price maintenance in tyre distribution (Maxxis/CST) Fine
Maxxis guaranteed wholesalers fixed margins per tyre sold of the Maxxis and CST brands, monitored prices in particular on the Tyre24 platform and intervened when prices were too low. Germany's Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) imposed fines on Maxxis and two tyre wholesalers that had pushed for the margin guarantees; at the time of publication the decisions were not final (an objection to the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf was possible).
Margin guarantees and price controls vis-à-vis dealers constitute prohibited resale price maintenance – sales teams need clear rules for price discussions.
Influencing resale prices and price monitoring on platforms
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB (vertikale Preisbindung)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement with Maxxis and Reifen Müller
- Published
- 21 Jul 2026
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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15 Jul 2026 CalPlus GmbH, Elektronik-Kontor Messtechnik GmbH, TVW Meßtechnik GmbHBundeskartellamt: 453,000 EUR against distributors of test and measuring equipment €453,000
From 2016 to 2022, three distributors of test and measuring equipment coordinated discounts as essential price components and informed each other of customer contacts, usually with a request for "restraint". This was evidenced by more than 400 emails; the proceedings ended in settlements.
Small distributors are liable too: merely asking a competitor to "hold back" with a customer is a prohibited customer allocation agreement.
Email contacts with competitors about customers and discounts
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement; cooperation by Elektronik-Kontor Messtechnik taken into account
- Published
- 15 Jul 2026
- Bundeskartellamt verhängt Bußgelder wegen Preisabsprachen beim Vertrieb von Prüf- und Messgeräten Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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8 Jul 2026 Meta Platforms Inc.; Meta Platforms Ireland LimitedMeta: interim orders on remuneration for press content (neighbouring rights) Order
At the request of the press association Alliance de la Presse d’Information Générale (APIG), the Autorité de la concurrence (French Competition Authority) imposed interim measures on Meta because its conduct in negotiations on remuneration for press publishers’ neighbouring rights could amount to an abuse of a dominant position. Meta must negotiate in good faith on remuneration for all Meta services from 1 February 2025, provide the information needed for the assessment within 15 days, must not degrade the display of press content during the negotiations and must report to the authority monthly. On the same day a similar decision (26-MC-02) was issued at the request of the collective management organisation DVP.
Dominant platforms must conduct remuneration negotiations transparently and give their negotiating partners the data that makes an objective assessment possible in the first place.
Abuse of market power in remuneration negotiations with content providers
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. L. 464-1 Code de commerce (mesures conservatoires); vorläufige Würdigung nach Art. L. 420-2 Code de commerce und Art. 102 AEUV; Art. L. 218-4 Code de la propriété intellectuelle
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 8 Jul 2026
- Autorité de la concurrence, Décision 26-MC-01 du 8 juillet 2026 (Entscheidungsseite) Decision of an authority
- Autorité de la concurrence, Décision 26-MC-01 (Volltext, PDF) Decision of an authority
- Autorité de la concurrence, Communiqué de presse zu 26-MC-01 Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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1 Jul 2026 Datasonic Indústria e Distribuição de Eletrônicos Ltda., D.T.I. Comércio de Artigos de Informática Ltda., Pares Eletrônica Comercial e Industrial Eireli u. a. (10 Unternehmen)CADE: cartel fines on ten electronics suppliers, two later reduced €699,960
In cartel proceedings, the CADE Tribunal fined ten suppliers of electronic products, while the signatories of a 2014 leniency agreement (Agilent and Keysight) and one company that had fulfilled a settlement were not sanctioned. The fines on the companies initially totalled 8,362,138.05 BRL; in the virtual deliberation procedure the plenary, deciding on motions for clarification (embargos) on 17 August 2026, reduced of its own motion the fines on Datasonic (from 4,329,605.69 to 856,937.12 BRL) and D.T.I. (from 1,021,750.18 to 265,406.99 BRL), leaving 4,133,126.29 BRL. The session minutes do not identify the market concerned. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
The first party to cooperate with the competition authority can escape sanctions, while the other participants pay.
Cartel risks in distribution and the benefits of leniency
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei nº 12.529/2011
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- reduced
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not set out here.
- Published
- 8 Jul 2026
Original amount 4,133,126.29 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 1 Jul 2026.
- Diário Oficial da União, 08.07.2026, Seção 1, S. 132: Ata da 268ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento (01.07.2026), PA nº 08700.010050/2014-23 Official register or notice
- Diário Oficial da União, 24.08.2026, Seção 1, S. 55: Ata nº 30 (Circuito Deliberativo Virtual), Embargos im PA 08700.010050/2014-23, Abstimmungsende 17.08.2026 Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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25 Jun 2026 Самостоятелна медико-диагностична лаборатория „Лина“ ЕООДLaboratory Lina lures customers with free blood tests – 52,097 EUR for unfair competition €52,097
On application by a competitor, the Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) established that the laboratory had offered packages of medical laboratory tests free of charge nationwide over extended periods (only against a fee of 2 leva for taking blood) – conduct shown by no other market participant outside joint campaigns. It found an infringement of the general clause of unfair competition law (Art. 29 ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act) and imposed 0.3% of 2024 turnover, i.e. 52,096.55 EUR. Appeals have been lodged against the decision.
Permanent free offers to win customers can be unfair if they deviate significantly from market practice and drive out competitors.
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Art. 29 ZZK (Generalklausel unlauterer Wettbewerb)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Healthcare
- Published
- 2 Jul 2026
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 591 от 25.06.2026; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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24 Jun 2026 Kaufland Hrvatska k.d.Croatia: 300,000 EUR against Kaufland for unfair practices towards suppliers €300,000
The Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (Croatian Competition Agency, AZTN) found that Kaufland Hrvatska charged food suppliers fees for services not provided and for advertising not commissioned, and paid for perishable goods only after more than 30 days. For these unfair trading practices, and with repeat offending as an aggravating factor (final penalty already in 2020), it imposed 300,000 EUR (date = publication).
Purchasing departments must know the payment deadlines and fee prohibitions of UTP law – repeat offences become significantly more expensive.
Fair terms towards suppliers in purchasing
- Authority / court
- Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (AZTN)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 4, 11, 12 Zakon o zabrani nepoštenih trgovačkih praksi u lancu opskrbe hranom (ZNTP)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Repeat case
- yes
- Published
- 24 Jun 2026
- AZTN kaznio KAUFLAND HRVATSKA k.d., Zagreb s 300.000,00 eura zbog nametanja nepoštenih trgovačkih praksi Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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17 Jun 2026 Kangaroo Limited (Keeta)Keeta gives binding commitment to open up its restaurant contracts Order
On 17 June 2026 the Competition Commission (Hong Kong's competition authority) accepted a commitment from Kangaroo Limited, which operates the Keeta food delivery platform in Hong Kong and is a subsidiary of Meituan. The authority was concerned that clauses in Keeta's agreements with partner restaurants made access harder for new and small platforms and softened competition – a possible breach of the First Conduct Rule (the ban on anti-competitive agreements). Keeta had already amended the agreements voluntarily (cooperation with platforms of up to 10% market share without losing incentives, easier switching, no bar on lower prices on the restaurants' own channels and on rival platforms); with the acceptance, these changes are legally binding and enforceable by the authority until 28 December 2026.
Platforms should proactively align their exclusivity and price parity clauses with the standards the authority has already imposed on their competitors.
Exclusivity and price parity clauses of online platforms
- Authority / court
- Competition Commission (Hongkong)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Competition Ordinance (Cap. 619), s. 6 (First Conduct Rule); Annahme einer Verpflichtungszusage nach s. 60
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Published
- 17 Jun 2026
- Competition Commission: Competition Commission accepts commitment offered by Keeta (17.06.2026) Press release of an authority
- Competition Commission: Notice regarding the Commission's acceptance of a commitment from Keeta in the Online Food Delivery Platform case (EC/12LD), 17.06.2026 Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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15 Jun 2026 The South African Breweries (Pty) LtdMerger condition: SAB must recalculate employee share benefits for former staff Order
On 15 June 2026, on the basis of a settlement between the Competition Commission (competition authority), The South African Breweries (Pty) Ltd (SAB) and the trustees of the Zenzele employee share scheme, the Competition Tribunal (South Africa's competition adjudicator) ordered that allocations under the scheme be recalculated to include former SABMiller employees who had moved to the CCBSA group (Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa); the funds held back in trust since 2020 must allegedly be paid out within 30 days. The case concerned apparent non-compliance with a condition of the 2017 merger approval under which these employees were not to lose any scheme benefits because of the transaction. The Tribunal rejected objections raised on behalf of current employees.
Merger conditions – including those protecting employees – remain binding and may be enforced years later; implementing them needs clear ownership within the company.
Implementing merger conditions on employee share schemes
- Authority / court
- Competition Tribunal of South Africa (auf Antrag der Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Competition Act 89 of 1998: Durchsetzung der Fusionsauflage 4.6 aus LM021Apr17 über Section 27(1)(d) i. V. m. Section 16(3); Antrag nach Section 49D i. V. m. Section 58(1)(b)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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10 Jun 2026 Denso CorporationCADE: 100.79 million BRL against Denso over international wire harness cartel €16.8m
The Tribunal of the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE, Brazilian competition authority) unanimously fined Denso Corporation 100,787,523.05 BRL for taking part in an international cartel in wire harnesses and electrical and electronic automotive components with effects in Brazil. According to the rapporteur’s vote, Denso took part in price fixing, the allocation of projects, geographic market sharing and the exchange of sensitive information roughly between 2000 and 2008. For other participants the proceedings ended through leniency, settlements or for lack of evidence; CADE dismissed Denso’s motion for clarification (embargos) in August 2026. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
International cartels are prosecuted in Brazil even long after they ended if they affected prices there.
International cartels in the automotive supply chain
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei nº 12.529/2011 (Lei de Defesa da Concorrência)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 10 Jun 2026
Original amount 100,787,523.05 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 Jun 2026.
- Diário Oficial da União, 17.06.2026 – Ata da 267ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento do CADE (10.06.2026), Processo Administrativo nº 08700.009029/2015-66 Official register or notice
- CADE – Cade aplica mais de R$ 100 milhões em multa por cartel internacional no mercado de chicotes elétricos (10.06.2026) Press release of an authority
- Diário Oficial da União, 18.08.2026 – CADE Ata nº 29 (Circuito Deliberativo Virtual): Embargos de Declaração Denso zurückgewiesen Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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9 Jun 2026 MetaMeta: interim measures to keep WhatsApp open to rival AI assistants free of charge Order
The European Commission ordered Meta to restore access for rival general-purpose AI assistants to the WhatsApp for Business interface on the terms in place before 15 October 2025, i.e. free of charge, and to maintain it until the final decision. The Commission found a prima facie abuse of a dominant position in consumer communication apps, because Meta had first excluded third-party assistants and later charged a fee with practically the same effect; the measures had to be implemented within five working days.
A company that has opened its dominant platform to third parties must not squeeze out competitors in the growing AI market through exclusion or prohibitive fees.
Refusal of platform access to AI competitors
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 102 AEUV; Art. 54 EWR-Abkommen; Art. 8 Abs. 1 VO (EG) Nr. 1/2003
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 9 Jun 2026
- Commission imposes interim measures on Meta to preserve free access to WhatsApp for rival AI assistants (IP/26/1276) Press release of an authority
- Presscorner-Schnittstelle, Volltext IP/26/1276 Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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5 Jun 2026 Portugal: 8.18 million EUR against three companies over advertising in TV recordings €8.18m
With the support of a consultancy, the three largest pay-TV providers agreed from 2019 to May 2025 to introduce advertising as a condition for accessing recordings and to standardise the marketing of this advertising space. The Autoridade da Concorrência (Portuguese Competition Authority, AdC) imposed 8,181,000 EUR on three companies; together with the fourth participant, already sanctioned earlier under a settlement, the fines add up to 13,351,000 EUR. Owing to ongoing court proceedings, the AdC did not publish the names in its announcement.
Jointly coordinated ‘industry solutions’ at customers’ expense are cartels – even when a service provider takes on the coordination.
Coordinated product changes among competitors
- Authority / court
- Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei da Concorrência (Lei n.º 19/2012), Art. 9.º (Processo PRC/2020/4)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Published
- 5 Jun 2026
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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3 Jun 2026 VF Hellas Ενδυμάτων Ε.Π.Ε. (VF Hellas, Tochter der VF Corporation)Greece: 954,485 EUR against VF Hellas for banning price comparison and Google Ads €954,485
The importer and wholesaler of the Vans, Eastpak and The North Face brands contractually prohibited its retailers from using price comparison portals and search engine advertising (in particular Google Ads). The Επιτροπή Ανταγωνισμού (Hellenic Competition Commission) regarded this as a hardcore restriction in online sales and, in a settlement procedure (Decision 913/2026), set a reduced fine of 954,485 EUR; date = press release.
Prohibiting retailers from using price comparison sites or search engine advertising is a hardcore restriction – distribution agreements should regularly undergo competition law review.
Competition-law-compliant design of dealer agreements in online sales
- Authority / court
- Επιτροπή Ανταγωνισμού (Hellenic Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 1 Gesetz 3959/2011; Art. 101 AEUV; Art. 4 lit. e VO (EU) 2022/720
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement procedure (Diettheti Diaforon) with fine reduction
- Published
- 3 Jun 2026
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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2 Jun 2026 Ascension Health Alliance; AmSurg LLC / Ambulatory Topco LLCAscension/AmSurg: seven ambulatory surgery centres must be sold Order
The non-profit hospital group Ascension wanted to acquire AmSurg for 3.9 billion USD. Owing to overlaps in outpatient surgery in five regions, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires the sale of seven AmSurg centres to SC Affiliates and a gastroenterology practice, as well as transitional support.
Non-profit healthcare providers are also subject to merger control – regional market shares determine divestitures.
- Authority / court
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Section 7 Clayton Act; Section 5 FTC Act (Consent Order)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Healthcare
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- FTC Requires Divestiture of Ambulatory Surgery Centers … Ascension Health-AmSurg Deal (02.06.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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28 May 2026 Timmerhuis Weg & Waterbouw B.V., Bouwhuis Aannemingsmaatschappij „Bouwmij“ B.V., Aannemingsmaatschappij Van Gelder B.V.ACM: cartel fines on construction firms for bid rigging in an Ommen tender €45,500
In September 2024 three construction companies coordinated their bid prices and decided the winner in a civil engineering tender of the municipality of Ommen, which was awarded for 153,250 EUR. Because of earlier cartel infringements by the companies or their legal predecessors established in 2005, the ACM (Autoriteit Consument & Markt, Dutch competition and consumer authority) increased the fines by 20%. In the simplified procedure it imposed allegedly 30,000 EUR on Timmerhuis and allegedly 15,500 EUR on Bouwhuis (45,500 EUR in total); Van Gelder, as first leniency applicant, was not fined.
Bids in procurement procedures must be prepared independently; even agreeing the winner of a small municipal contract is sanctioned.
Bid rigging in public tenders
- Authority / court
- Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 6 Abs. 1 Mededingingswet
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Repeat case
- yes
- Mitigating circumstances
- For cooperating in the simplified procedure, the ACM reduced the fines of Bouwhuis and Timmerhuis by 15%, and that of Timmerhuis by a further 5% for evidence provided voluntarily; Van Gelder, as first applicant, received full leniency immunity.
- Published
- 2 Jun 2026
- ACM – Boetebesluit vervalsing GWW-aanbesteding (Beslisdatum 28-05-2026) Decision of an authority
- ACM – Boetebesluit vervalsing GWW-aanbesteding gemeente Ommen Decision of an authority
- ACM – ACM legt kartelboetes op voor vervalsing GWW-aanbesteding (02-06-2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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27 May 2026 Frigorífico Cason Ltda., ASM Comércio de Subprodutos de Origem Animal Ltda., ASM Comércio e Coleta de Ossos Ltda.CADE: buyer cartel for animal by-products in Rio Grande do Sul – BRL 6.4m €1.09m
The CADE Tribunal convicted three companies of a buyer cartel in the purchase of animal residues in Rio Grande do Sul: according to CADE, rendering plants and haulage companies divided collection points among themselves, exchanged sensitive information and obstructed competitors outside the arrangement. Frigorífico Cason received 5,937,915.73 BRL and the two ASM companies jointly 455,419.65 BRL (6,393,335.38 BRL in total); proceedings against several other parties were closed because settlements had been fulfilled or for lack of evidence. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Buyers, too, must not coordinate the allocation of suppliers or collection areas; buyer cartels are prohibited just like seller cartels.
Buyer cartels and allocation of supply or collection areas
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei nº 12.529/2011
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not set out here.
- Published
- 29 May 2026
Original amount 6,393,335.38 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 May 2026.
- Diário Oficial da União, 03.06.2026, Seção 1, S. 93: Ata da 266ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento (27.05.2026), PA nº 08700.004404/2016-62 Official register or notice
- CADE, 29.05.2026: Cade condena empresas e empresários por cartel no mercado de resíduos animais no Rio Grande do Sul Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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27 May 2026 Seed Bearing Fields (Pty) LtdFood supply tender: Seed Bearing Fields admits price fixing €528
On 27 May 2026 the Competition Tribunal (South Africa's competition adjudicator) confirmed a settlement in which Limpopo-based Seed Bearing Fields (Pty) Ltd admitted fixing prices with Mogodumo Bakone Holding (Pty) Ltd for a Limpopo Department of Health tender to supply perishable food. The directors of the two bidders are related; the companies shared an office and service providers and submitted strikingly similar bids. Seed Bearing Fields allegedly pays an administrative penalty of 10,044 ZAR and must attend competition law compliance training provided by the Competition Commission (competition authority).
Related companies bidding separately must not coordinate their prices – shared offices, service providers and similar documents make collusion easy to spot.
Related bidders in public tenders
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Competition Tribunal of South Africa (auf Antrag der Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Section 4(1)(b)(i) und (iii) Competition Act 89 of 1998
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
Original amount 10,044 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 May 2026.
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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22 May 2026 Parrish & Heimbecker, Limited; GrainsConnect Canada Operations Inc.Canada: grain elevator must be sold in the takeover of GrainsConnect Order
The planned acquisition of GrainsConnect by Parrish & Heimbecker would have reduced competition for the purchase of wheat from farmers around Reford (Saskatchewan). The Competition Bureau reached an agreement under which P&H must divest the grain elevator in Reford to an approved buyer and continue to operate it normally until then.
Merger control also has local effects: even a single site can trigger a divestiture requirement.
- Authority / court
- Competition Bureau Canada (Consent Agreement beim Competition Tribunal)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Competition Act (Kanada), Fusionskontrolle
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Published
- 22 May 2026
- Competition Bureau reaches agreement to protect competition for grain farmers in Saskatchewan Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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20 May 2026 Sajo DongAOne, Daehan Flour Mills, CJ CheilJedang u. a. (7 Unternehmen)Flour cartel: record KRW 671bn fine on seven mills €384.3m
According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), seven flour manufacturers with a combined 87.7% of the B2B market coordinated, on 24 occasions between November 2019 and October 2025, the timing and extent of price changes as well as supply volumes and supply rankings towards large buyers such as noodle and confectionery manufacturers, including while receiving government price stabilisation subsidies. In addition to a cease-and-desist order, the KFTC ordered an independent re-determination of prices and imposed fines totalling KRW 671,045 million, the highest amount in any cartel case to date: Sajo DongAOne KRW 183,097 million, Daehan Flour Mills KRW 179,273 million, CJ CheilJedang KRW 131,701 million, Samyang KRW 94,787 million, Daesun Flour Mills KRW 38,448 million, Hantop KRW 24,291 million, Samhwa Flour Mills KRW 19,448 million.
Anyone already sanctioned for a cartel must expect considerably harsher consequences if contacts with competitors resume.
Price and volume agreements with competitors
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 40 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und Nr. 3 MRFTA (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Repeat case
- yes
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not set out here.
- Published
- 20 May 2026
Original amount 671,045,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 May 2026.
- KFTC press release (EN), 21 May 2026: Sanctions Imposed on Seven Flour Millers for Flour Price-Fixing Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 20.05.2026: 7개 제분사 밀가루 담합 적발·제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF) mit Tabelle 5 (Geldbußen je Mühle) und Rechtsgrundlage Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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13 May 2026 Comércio de Combustíveis Stang Ltda., Pato Comércio de Combustíveis Ltda. u. a. (3 Unternehmen)CADE: fuel cartel in Coronel Vivida – fines cut to BRL 15.1m on embargos €2.63m
The CADE Tribunal convicted three petrol station companies because in 2017 they had divided the lots of municipal fuel tenders in Coronel Vivida (Paraná) among themselves in advance and had also coordinated retail pump prices. The fines on the companies initially totalled 43,953,905.42 BRL (Comércio de Combustíveis Stang 25,801,726.15; a further petrol station company 9,406,784.68; Pato Comércio de Combustíveis 8,745,394.59 BRL). On motions for clarification (embargos) the Tribunal reduced, on 1 July 2026, the fines on Stang to 4,615,849.76 BRL and on Pato to 1,090,682.28 BRL owing to a subsequently arising fact relevant to the calculation, leaving 15,113,316.72 BRL. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Dividing lots in public tenders is a cartel infringement carrying heavy fines, even in small municipal procurement.
Division of tender lots between competitors
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei nº 12.529/2011; Art. 38 VI (Handelsverbot für natürliche Personen)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- reduced
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not set out here.
- Published
- 13 May 2026
Original amount 15,113,316.72 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 13 May 2026.
- Diário Oficial da União, 22.05.2026, Seção 1, S. 54: Ata da 265ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento (13.05.2026), PA nº 08700.002545/2023-70 Official register or notice
- Diário Oficial da União, 08.07.2026, Seção 1, S. 132: Ata da 268ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento (01.07.2026), Embargos – Herabsetzung Official register or notice
- CADE, 13.05.2026: Cade condena empresas e empresários por cartel de combustíveis em Coronel Vivida/PR Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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6 May 2026 HP TRONIC Zlín, spol. s r.o.HP TRONIC Zlín: 39 million CZK for price requirements imposed on electronics retailers €1.6m
For more than ten years from 2012, the distributor and retailer of consumer electronics and household appliances set minimum resale prices for its retail customers, monitored them and sanctioned deviations. The Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) imposed 38.971 million CZK; a leniency application, settlement and an improved compliance programme reduced the fine, and the company appealed against the amount.
Reprimanding retailers over low prices risks high fines – an effective compliance programme can reduce them but is no substitute for ending the practice.
Resale price maintenance in sales
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency application, settlement and expansion of the internal compliance programme.
- Published
- 6 May 2026
Original amount 38,971,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 6 May 2026.
- HP Tronic Faces Nearly CZK 40 Million Fine for Dictating Prices to Retailers Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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4 May 2026 Decora S.A., Bel-Pol sp. z o.o.Decora and Bel-Pol: PLN 33.6m for price and territory agreements on flooring accessories €7.9m
The manufacturer Decora and the wholesaler Bel-Pol had coordinated prices for vinyl panels, underlays, skirting boards and floor profiles from Decora's range and divided the wholesale market for these products. UOKiK imposed fines of PLN 28,344,000 on Decora and PLN 5,290,000 on Bel-Pol, PLN 33,634,000 in total. The decision is not final.
Vertical agreements on prices and territories in wholesale are hardcore restrictions.
Price and territory agreements between manufacturer and wholesaler
- Authority / court
- Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów (UOKiK)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 6 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und 3 ustawa o ochronie konkurencji i konsumentów; Art. 101 Abs. 1 lit. a und c AEUV; Art. 106 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und 2, Art. 113c und Art. 89a ustawa o ochronie konkurencji i konsumentów
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- As a leniency applicant, Bel-Pol received a 50% reduction of its fine and a further 10% for voluntarily accepting the fine (settlement).
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not reported here.
Original amount 33,634,000 PLN, converted at the ECB reference rate of 4 May 2026.
- UOKiK-Entscheidungsdatenbank: Decyzja DOK-2/2026 (Decora S.A., Bel-Pol sp. z o.o.) Enforcement database of an authority
- Decyzja nr DOK-2/2026 vom 04.05.2026 (öffentliche Fassung) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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30 Apr 2026 „Вазовски машиностроителни заводи“ ЕАД (VMZ)Arms manufacturer VMZ used a partner’s know-how for disposable grenade launchers – 50,855 EUR €50,855
On application by a client, the Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) found that VMZ had used technical documentation on disposable grenade launchers that had been provided in confidence (trade secret) contrary to the confidentiality agreements and good commercial practice (Art. 37(1) ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act). Sanction of 50,855.09 EUR and obligation to cease, with immediate enforceability. Appeals have been lodged against the decision.
Design documents provided in confidence may only be used within the agreed scope – especially in sensitive industries.
Handling confidential know-how of business partners
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Art. 37 Abs. 1 ZZK (Geschäftsgeheimnisse)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Defence and security
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 389 от 30.04.2026; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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28 Apr 2026 Amica Chips S.p.A., Pata S.p.A., Preziosi Food S.p.A.Italy: 23.3 million EUR against Amica Chips, Pata and Preziosi Food over snack cartel €23.3m
In a secret, continuing agreement, three manufacturers of salty snacks and crisps divided up among themselves the supply of private-label snacks to food retailers. Fines: Amica Chips 8,239,210 EUR, Pata 7,555,387 EUR, Preziosi Food 7,503,550 EUR; this was the first time Italy's competition authority (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, AGCM) applied its settlement procedure.
Retailers' tenders for private labels are competition – coordinated sham bids to retailers constitute a cartel.
Sham bids in retailers' private-label tenders
- Authority / court
- Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV; Art. 14-quater Gesetz 287/1990 (Settlement)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency reduction for Pata and Amica Chips; 10 % settlement discount for all
- Published
- 28 Apr 2026
- I871 - The Italian Competition Authority fines Amica Chips, Pata and Preziosi Food over €23 million Press release of an authority
- AGCM - Sanzioni per oltre 23 milioni di euro ad Amica Chips, Pata e Preziosi Food Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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21 Apr 2026 Gwalimba Construction (Pty) LtdAlleged collusion on a government job: Gwalimba Construction allegedly pays ZAR 50,000 €2,596
On 21 April 2026 the Competition Tribunal (South Africa's competition adjudicator) confirmed a settlement with Gwalimba Construction (Pty) Ltd. Following a complaint by the Department of Home Affairs (home affairs ministry), the Competition Commission (competition authority) had found that Gwalimba and Superway Construction (Pty) Ltd agreed not to compete against each other on certain tenders – including a request for quotes for fire-compliance repair work at a government office in Pretoria. Without admitting liability, Gwalimba allegedly pays an administrative penalty of 50,000 ZAR, will cooperate in the case against Superway and will introduce a competition law compliance programme.
Even small construction firms must avoid any coordination with competitors when quoting to public bodies – authorities pursue such arrangements against small firms too.
Bid rigging in public procurement
- Authority / court
- Competition Tribunal of South Africa (auf Antrag der Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Section 4(1)(b)(i), (ii) und (iii) Competition Act 89 of 1998
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Repeat case
- no
- Mitigating circumstances
- According to the parties: cooperation with the authority, a small firm with no previous contraventions, and it did not win the contract.
- Published
- 23 Apr 2026
Original amount 50,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Apr 2026.
- Competition Tribunal: Press Release: Tribunal confirms settlement of alleged collusion by Gwalimba Construction in public sector collusive tendering case (23.04.2026) Court press release
- Competition Tribunal, CO107Oct25, Order confirming consent agreement Competition Commission v Gwalimba Construction (Pty) Ltd, decided 21.04.2026 Court decision
- Competition Tribunal case file CO107Oct25 (Order date 2026-04-21; sections 4(1)(b)(i), (ii), (iii)) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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17 Apr 2026 Medirex s. r. o.; KLINICKÁ BIOCHÉMIA s.r.o.; Unilabs Slovensko, s. r. o.; synlab slovakia s. r. o.; Asociácia laboratóriíLaboratory cartel: 14.6 million EUR and procurement bans against diagnostic laboratories €14.6m
Four laboratories and their association coordinated negotiations on prices with health insurers, coordinated in tenders, exchanged sensitive information and allocated customers. At first instance, the Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, PMÚ SR) imposed 14,551,800 EUR and three-year procurement bans; Unilabs received a substantially reduced fine as leniency applicant and under a settlement.
Common negotiating positions towards payers via an association are a cartel – association meetings need minutes and a review of the agenda.
Information exchange among competitors and association work
- Authority / court
- Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (PMÚ SR)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Slowakisches Wettbewerbsschutzgesetz (Kartellverbot)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Healthcare
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Unilabs: leniency reduction (50%) and settlement (a further 30%).
- Published
- 12 May 2026
- KARTELY: PMÚ odhalil kartel laboratórií a uložil pokuty takmer 15 miliónov eur Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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16 Apr 2026 Synadis Bio, Greenweez (mit Carrefour SA), ITM Entreprises (mit Les Mousquetaires), Les Comptoirs de la BioFrance: 12.67 million EUR over allocation of distribution channels for organic food €12.7m
Through the association Synadis Bio, market participants ensured for more than seven years that organic brands were not sold simultaneously in specialist organic shops and in conventional supermarkets, in order to prevent price comparisons (decision 26-D-05). Fines: Synadis Bio 10 million EUR, Greenweez/Carrefour 1.85 million EUR, ITM 740,000 EUR, Les Comptoirs de la Bio 80,000 EUR.
Association decisions that tie members to particular distribution channels amount to market sharing – even if they are justified as a quality or positioning policy.
Association rules to foreclose distribution channels
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. L.420-1 Code de commerce, Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV; Bußgeldbemessung nach Art. L.464-2 Code de commerce
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Published
- 16 Apr 2026
- L'Autorité de la concurrence sanctionne à hauteur de 12,67 millions d'euros (Entscheidung 26-D-05) Press release of an authority
- Décision 26-D-05 (version publique) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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2 Apr 2026 Nexans France, Nexans SA; Sonepar-Gruppe (Sonepar France Distribution u. a.)Nexans and Sonepar: EUR 6.5 million for exclusive import rights in overseas territories €6.5m
From 13 May 2015 to 20 November 2023, Nexans granted companies of the Sonepar group exclusive rights to import Nexans cables into La Réunion, Mayotte, French Guiana, Martinique and Guadeloupe, which Art. L. 420-2-1 of the Code de commerce (French Commercial Code) prohibits for the overseas territories. In a settlement procedure the Autorité de la concurrence (French Competition Authority) imposed EUR 3 million on Nexans France (jointly with Nexans SA) and EUR 3.5 million on the Sonepar companies involved, EUR 6.5 million in total. It is the authority’s first decision based on a report by a person with protected whistleblower status.
Exclusive import or distribution rights for the French overseas territories are prohibited in principle and should be reviewed before any contract is signed.
Exclusive distribution and import rights; whistleblowers as a source of detection
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. L. 420-2-1 Code de commerce; Vergleichsverfahren nach Art. L. 464-2 III Code de commerce
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement procedure (transaction): the companies did not contest the objections.
- Published
- 2 Apr 2026
- Autorité de la concurrence, Décision 26-D-04 du 2 avril 2026 (Entscheidungsseite) Decision of an authority
- Autorité de la concurrence, Décision 26-D-04 (Volltext, PDF) Decision of an authority
- Autorité de la concurrence, Communiqué de presse zu 26-D-04 Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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2 Apr 2026 Rickman Trade OÜ (mit Rickman Trade Latvijas filiāle), „EUGESTA“ SIA, SIA „Innocent PRO“Latvia: 512,100 EUR for resale price maintenance on JURA coffee machines €512,100
According to the decision of the Konkurences padome (Latvian Competition Council), the distributor Rickman Trade set the resale prices for JURA coffee machines for retailers, while EUGESTA and Innocent PRO monitored and maintained those prices at retail level in order to secure a uniform price level in Latvia. Fines: Rickman Trade OÜ with its Latvian branch 255,938.04 EUR, EUGESTA 232,636.20 EUR and Innocent PRO, after a 10 % settlement reduction, 23,525.93 EUR, totalling 512,100.17 EUR.
Suppliers and distributors may recommend resale prices but must neither impose them nor police compliance with them.
Prohibition of resale price maintenance in distribution
- Authority / court
- Konkurences padome (Lettischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 11 Abs. 1 Konkurences likums (Wettbewerbsgesetz)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- Innocent PRO received a 10 % reduction following a settlement offer.
- Published
- 7 May 2026
- KP lēmums Nr. 18, lieta KL/2.2-3.2/25/1 (Rickman Trade, EUGESTA, Innocent PRO), 02.04.2026 Decision of an authority
- Konkurences padomes lēmumi (Nr. 52, Statuss: Spēkā, pieņemts 02.04.2026, publicēts 07.05.2026) Enforcement database of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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19 Mar 2026 Mavera ABMavera: SEK 14.3m for exclusivity clauses with insurance medical advisers €1.32m
The Konkurrensverket (Swedish Competition Authority) found that Mavera AB abuses its dominant position by applying, since 1 January 2021, exclusivity clauses in contracts with companies providing insurance medical advice that prohibit advising competing businesses. The authority imposed a competition damages fee (konkurrensskadeavgift) of 14,300,000 SEK and ordered the company to stop applying the clauses and to inform its contractual partners within six weeks; the order is backed by a conditional fine (vite) of 30,000,000 SEK. Mavera has appealed to the Patent- och marknadsdomstolen (Patent and Market Court). The decision is not final.
Exclusivity ties imposed by a dominant customer on service providers can keep competitors out of the market and carry high competition law risk.
Exclusivity clauses used by dominant companies
- Authority / court
- Konkurrensverket
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- 2 kap. 7 § konkurrenslagen (2008:579); Art. 102 AEUV; 3 kap. 1 § och 3 kap. 5 § första stycket 1 KL
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Financial services and insurance
- Published
- 19 Mar 2026
Original amount 14,300,000 SEK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 19 Mar 2026.
- Konkurrensverket, Ärenden och beslut: Mavera AB, dnr 91/2023 Enforcement database of an authority
- Konkurrensverket, Beschluss vom 19.03.2026, Dnr 91/2023 – Mavera AB Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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18 Mar 2026 Míla hf.Iceland: Míla pays 200 million ISK for breaching merger conditions €1.39m
The telecoms infrastructure company Míla hf. admitted in a settlement with Samkeppniseftirlitið (Icelandic Competition Authority) that from October 2023 to December 2024 it had breached the conditions of the September 2022 settlement on its acquisition by Ardian: the frequency and scope of its contacts with Síminn were liable to weaken Síminn's incentive to buy wholesale services from Míla's competitors beyond its contractual purchase obligation. Míla pays a fine of 200,000,000 ISK and accepts additional conditions; at the same time, some conditions were limited, owing to changed market conditions, to areas where Míla has significant market power.
Merger conditions also apply to day-to-day sales contact; companies subject to them must check and document customer outreach and sales activities against the conditions.
Complying with merger conditions in day-to-day business, especially in contact with major customers
- Authority / court
- Samkeppniseftirlitið
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Verstoß gegen Fusionsauflagen (Art. 4 und 8 eines früheren Vergleichs); Vergleich nach Art. 17f Abs. 1 Samkeppnislög Nr. 44/2005 (isländisches Wettbewerbsgesetz)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Published
- 19 Mar 2026
Original amount 200,000,000 ISK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Mar 2026.
- Sátt Mílu hf. og Samkeppniseftirlitsins (Reykjavík, 18. mars 2026) Decision of an authority
- Samkeppniseftirlitið: Rannsókn á Mílu lokið með stjórnvaldssektum og endurskoðun á skilyrðum (19. mars 2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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17 Mar 2026 Morellato S.p.A.AGCM fines Morellato €25.9m for online resale price maintenance and marketplace ban €25.9m
The AGCM found that, within its selective distribution system for jewellery and watches, Morellato set its retailers' online resale prices and prohibited them from using third-party marketplaces and intermediation platforms from 20 July 2018 to 23 December 2025; by way of retaliation, Morellato blocked orders (Art. 101(1) TFEU). The fine amounts to 25,895,043 EUR.
Manufacturers may not dictate retailers' online selling prices or impose blanket bans on platform sales, and using supply stops as leverage aggravates the infringement.
Resale price maintenance and platform bans in online distribution
- Authority / court
- Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV; Art. 15 Legge n. 287/1990
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- Because treating the marketplace ban as a restriction of competition was novel, the AGCM calculated the fine solely on the basis of the online resale price maintenance.
- Published
- 31 Mar 2026
- AGCM, Provvedimento I876 (Adunanza 17.03.2026), provvedimento finale e sanzione Decision of an authority
- AGCM, Comunicato stampa 31.03.2026: I876 – Sanzione di oltre 25 milioni di euro a Morellato Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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17 Mar 2026 Syndicat National des Moniteurs du Ski Français (SNMSF)Ski instructors’ union SNMSF: EUR 3.4 million for exclusivity duty of ESF instructors €3.4m
From 12 May 2006 to 4 February 2025, the model agreement of France’s largest ski instructors’ union prohibited instructors of the Écoles du Ski Français from teaching for competing ski schools or their own clients and threatened exclusion for breaches; the Autorité de la concurrence (French Competition Authority) regarded this as a restriction of competition by object on the market for ski tuition. It imposed EUR 3.4 million, for the first time in an ordinary procedure calculated on the basis of the members’ turnover, and ordered the union to amend the rules, publish the decision and, if it cannot pay, call on its members for contributions.
Professional associations are also liable under competition law for statutes and model rules that forbid their members from working for competitors.
Anti-competitive rules in professional associations
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV; Art. L. 420-1 Code de commerce; Bemessung nach Art. L. 464-2 Code de commerce (Umsetzung der ECN+-Richtlinie)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Other
- Published
- 17 Mar 2026
- Autorité de la concurrence, Décision 26-D-03 du 17 mars 2026 (Entscheidungsseite) Decision of an authority
- Autorité de la concurrence, Décision 26-D-03 (Volltext, PDF) Decision of an authority
- Autorité de la concurrence, Communiqué de presse zu 26-D-03 Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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12 Mar 2026 Associação Portuguesa das Empresas do Setor Privado de Emprego e de Recursos Humanos (APESPE)Portugal: 4.5 million EUR against temporary work association APESPE for no-poach rule €4.52m
From 1987 to March 2025, the association of temporary work agencies (around 40 members) obliged its members in its code of ethics not to poach each other’s temporary workers. The Autoridade da Concorrência (Portuguese Competition Authority, AdC) regarded this as an anticompetitive decision by an association in the labour market and imposed 4,519,000 EUR, calculated on the basis of the members’ turnover; the decision can be appealed (date = press release).
An association’s code of ethics can also be a cartel – no-poach agreements between competitors are off limits.
No-poach agreements in association rules
- Authority / court
- Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei da Concorrência (Lei n.º 19/2012), Art. 9.º
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Other
- Published
- 12 Mar 2026
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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9 Mar 2026 Alderson Logistics Limited; Supa Shavings (2022) LimitedAlderson Logistics and Supa Shavings: 420,000 NZD for an anti-competitive acquisition without clearance €214,691
In May 2022, without seeking clearance, Alderson Logistics and its associated company Supa Shavings (2022) acquired the businesses of the two largest suppliers of bulk wood shavings used as bedding by chicken and goat farmers in the Waikato, which together held a market share of at least 70 to 80% and were each other's closest competitors. Following a settlement with the Commerce Commission (New Zealand's competition regulator), the High Court imposed an allegedly agreed penalty of 420,000 NZD jointly against both for breaching the prohibition on acquisitions in s 47 of the Commerce Act. It was the first time the Commission had also sought divestment where a breach was admitted; the divestment did not succeed.
Even without a mandatory filing regime, acquisitions between close competitors should be checked under competition law beforehand and notified for clearance where in doubt.
Competition law review of acquisitions without a filing obligation
- Authority / court
- High Court Auckland (Klage: Commerce Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Commerce Act 1986, s 47
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Published
- 9 Mar 2026
Original amount 420,000 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Mar 2026.
- Commerce Commission: ComCom action sees companies penalised after acquisitions lessened competition (09.03.2026) Press release of an authority
- Commerce Commission, Case register: Alderson Logistics Limited, R.L.S. Transport Limited, ABS Carriers Limited, Supa Shavings Limited (PRJ0046977) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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6 Mar 2026 ΚΟΜΠΑ Μονοπρόσωπη Ε.Π.Ε. und HAPPY DOG Α.Ε. ΖωοτροφώνGreece: around 482,500 EUR against pet food importers for resale price maintenance €482,498
Two importers of dog and cat food monitored their retailers’ consumer prices on price comparison portals and asked them to adjust them to their price lists; the retailers complied. In a settlement procedure (Decision 901/2026), the Επιτροπή Ανταγωνισμού (Hellenic Competition Commission) imposed 387,498 EUR on KOMPA and 95,000 EUR on Happy Dog; the case began with a tip-off via the authority’s anonymous whistleblowing platform.
Recommended prices must not be enforced through monitoring and calls to retailers – and authorities’ whistleblowing channels make such practices visible.
Prohibition of resale price maintenance in sales
- Authority / court
- Επιτροπή Ανταγωνισμού (Hellenic Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 1 Gesetz 3959/2011; Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement procedure with reduced fines
- Published
- 6 Mar 2026
- Δελτίο Τύπου – Πρόστιμα σε επιχειρήσεις προμήθειας ζωοτροφών για ζώα συντροφιάς Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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5 Mar 2026 SIA "SS"Classifieds portal ss.lv blocked users of competitor – fine of 186,781 EUR €186,781
From March 2020 to May 2021, the operator of ss.lv/ss.com (market share over 60%) deleted advertisements and blocked accounts of users – mainly car dealers and estate agents – who also advertised on the competing platform pp.lv; anyone wishing to register with an inbox.lv address additionally had to provide a different e-mail address. The Konkurences padome (Latvian Competition Council) considered this an abuse of a dominant position (Art. 102 TFEU), imposed 186,780.65 EUR and required objective criteria for dealing with customers.
Market-leading platforms must not punish users for multi-homing – internal moderation rules need objective criteria.
Competition law limits in dealing with competitors’ customers
- Authority / court
- Konkurences padome (Lettischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 102 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Published
- 18 Mar 2026
- KP konstatē SIA „SS“ dominējoša stāvokļa ļaunprātīgu izmantošanu … naudas sodu 186 780,65 EUR (18.03.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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4 Mar 2026 Aramex New Zealand Holdings LimitedAramex: 700,000 NZD for customer allocation in a reseller agreement €355,800
In 2021 the courier company concluded an agreement with a competitor acting as reseller that allocated customers and fixed prices, and gave effect to the non-compete clause on one occasion; the wording had been copied from an older Fastway template. In civil proceedings brought by the Commerce Commission (ComCom, New Zealand's competition authority), the High Court on 4 March 2026 approved the jointly proposed penalty, allegedly of 700,000 NZD (starting point 1 million NZD, 30% reduction).
Contract templates should be reviewed regularly for competition law risks before they are copied for new partners.
Competition law review of contract templates
- Authority / court
- High Court Auckland (Klage: Commerce Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Commerce Act 1986, s 30
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Transport, logistics and shipping
- Culpability
- negligent
- Repeat case
- no
- Mitigating circumstances
- No previous warnings or contraventions, voluntary provision of documents and interviews, early admission and remorse, new agreements without the clause and a new competition law compliance programme in New Zealand and Australia.
- Liability of senior managers
- The agreement was prepared from a template by the national sales manager; a more senior employee signed it without reviewing its content.
- Published
- 4 Mar 2026
Original amount 700,000 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 4 Mar 2026.
- Commerce Commission v Aramex New Zealand Holdings Limited [2026] NZHC 444, Judgment 4 March 2026 Court decision
- Commerce Commission: Couriers ordered to pay $1.225 million after investigation into cartel conduct (04.03.2026) Press release of an authority
- Commerce Commission, Case register: Aramex New Zealand Holdings Limited (PRJ0045982) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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3 Mar 2026 Killer GmbH & Co KG, Killer GmbHWaste cartel: €278,000 fine on waste firm Killer despite leniency status €278,000
The Kartellgericht (Cartel Court) fined Killer GmbH & Co KG and Killer GmbH allegedly 278,000 EUR for taking part in the nationwide waste management cartel from July 2002 to March 2021, mainly in Lower and Upper Austria and occasionally in Tyrol. The participants fixed prices, shared territories and customers and exchanged competitively sensitive information, including in tenders for waste collection. The fine was reduced because of leniency status and the consensual termination of the proceedings.
A leniency application made only after a dawn raid can reduce a fine but will not necessarily waive it; companies should investigate suspicions internally at an early stage.
Territorial and customer allocation in regional markets
- Authority / court
- Oberlandesgericht Wien als Kartellgericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 Abs. 1 KartG und Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV; § 29 Abs. 1 Z 1 lit. a und d KartG
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Repeat case
- no
- Mitigating circumstances
- Reduction for cooperation under the leniency programme and the consensual termination of the proceedings.
- Published
- 15 Sep 2026
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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18 Feb 2026 Wilmar SA (Pty) LtdEdible oils case: Wilmar SA allegedly pays ZAR 1m and commits to public-interest measures €52,689
On 18 February 2026 the Competition Tribunal (South Africa's competition adjudicator) confirmed a settlement between the Competition Commission (competition authority) and Wilmar SA (Pty) Ltd (formerly Wilmar Continental Edible Oils and Fats) in proceedings running since 2016 over alleged price fixing and – added later – market division in edible oils, baking fats and margarine. Without admitting a contravention, Wilmar allegedly pays 1,000,000 ZAR and commits to public-interest measures worth 49.5 million ZAR over five years, including bursaries, school infrastructure including eradicating pit latrines, and a fund for small businesses; it also undertakes a compliance programme and investment commitments.
Settlements with South Africa's competition authority can include public-interest commitments many times larger than the payment itself – this belongs in any risk assessment.
Price fixing in the food industry
- Authority / court
- Competition Tribunal of South Africa (auf Antrag der Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Section 4(1)(b)(i) und/oder (ii) Competition Act 89 of 1998 (Vorwurf, ohne Anerkenntnis)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Published
- 18 Feb 2026
Original amount 1,000,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Feb 2026.
- Competition Tribunal: Competition Tribunal confirms settlement in edible oils alleged price-fixing matter (18.02.2026) Court press release
- Competition Commission: The Commission welcomes Tribunal confirmation of the settlement agreement concluded with Wilmar SA (Pty) Ltd (24.02.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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18 Feb 2026 Check24 GmbHBundeskartellamt: Check24 drops best-price clauses towards energy suppliers Order
The Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office) declared binding commitments by Check24 GmbH under which the comparison website gives up price parity clauses when brokering electricity and gas contracts: energy suppliers may offer their tariffs more cheaply via other websites and their own sales channels without the contractual relationship, commission or ranking depending on it (no 'dimming'). In its preliminary assessment the authority had concerns under Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and Sections 1, 19 and 20 of the German Competition Act (GWB).
Leading brokerage platforms should avoid best-price clauses; indirect levers such as a worse ranking also count as parity requirements.
Best-price and parity clauses in brokerage contracts
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- § 32b Abs. 1 GWB (Verpflichtungszusagen); Bedenken nach Art. 101, 102 AEUV, §§ 1, 19, 20 GWB (Az. B8-40/25)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Published
- 24 Feb 2026
- Check24 verpflichtet sich zur Aufgabe von Preisparitätsklauseln gegenüber Energieversorgern (24.02.2026) Press release of an authority
- Bundeskartellamt, Beschluss B8-40/25 vom 18.02.2026 Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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12 Feb 2026 ELKOND HHK, VUKI, Prysmian, NKT, KABEX u. a. (Kabelkartell, 9 Unternehmen und ein Verband)Cable cartel: PMÚ imposes record fines of 97.4 million EUR €97.4m
Manufacturers and suppliers of copper and aluminium cables coordinated a common calculation of the metal surcharge, which makes up a significant part of the final price; an industry association acted as facilitator. The Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, PMÚ SR) imposed a total of 97,434,800 EUR, the highest amount in a single proceeding; two leniency applicants were not fined (not final). Addressees: ELKOND HHK, a.s.; VUKI a.s.; Prysmian Kablo s.r.o.; Prysmian Kabely, s.r.o.; Kablo Vrchlabí s.r.o.; NKT s.r.o.; PRECON s.r.o.; Tele–Fonika Kabely CZ s.r.o.; KABELOVNA KABEX a. s.; Asociace výrobců kabelů a vodičů ČR a SR (leniency applicants without a fine: ICS Industrial Cables Slovakia, PRAKAB).
A coordinated calculation formula for price components is also price fixing – association work needs competition law support.
Price coordination via associations and surcharge formulas
- Authority / court
- Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (PMÚ SR)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Slowakisches Wettbewerbsschutzgesetz (Kartellverbot)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 11 Mar 2026
- KARTELY: PMÚ odhalil kartel výrobcov a dodávateľov káblov, uložil pokuty takmer 100 miliónov eur Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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12 Feb 2026 DPG Media nv; Mediahuis nv; PPP Belgium bv; bpost nv (Kronzeuge)Press concession: 11.9 million EUR for collusion in newspaper delivery tender €11.9m
So that bpost would obtain the state concession for newspaper delivery for 2023–2027, its competitor PPP refrained from submitting a bid and in return received additional delivery volumes from DPG Media and Mediahuis (bid rigging). In a settlement procedure, the Autorité belge de la Concurrence / Belgische Mededingingsautoriteit (Belgian Competition Authority, BMA) imposed 3,786,574 EUR (DPG Media), 7,788,423 EUR (Mediahuis) and 323,486 EUR (PPP); bpost, as leniency applicant, received full immunity.
Agreements on who participates in a tender are hardcore cartels; leniency applicants benefit.
Collusion in public tenders
- Authority / court
- Autorité belge de la Concurrence / Belgische Mededingingsautoriteit (BMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Code de droit économique Art. IV.1; AEUV Art. 101
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency programme (immunity for bpost; reductions of 50% and 40% for DPG Media and Mediahuis respectively) and 10% settlement reduction.
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not reported here.
- Published
- 13 Feb 2026
- BMA – Communiqué de presse N° 6/2026 (13.02.2026) Press release of an authority
- BMA – Beslissing BMA-2026-RPR-04-AUD (Krantenconcessie), publieke versie, 12.02.2026 Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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12 Feb 2026 UAB „Manado“, MB „Parts ready“Manado and Parts ready: cartel in Vilnius public transport spare parts tender €41,080
In two tenders by ‘Vilniaus viešasis transportas’ for vehicle spare parts (May–October 2025), the dealers coordinated bids and prices, wrote the bids for each other and sent them from the same computer. The contracting entity reported the suspicion. Following acknowledgement (minus 15%), fines of 17,950 EUR (Manado) and 23,130 EUR (Parts ready). Source: archived copy of the press release.
Even jointly prepared bids by small dealers are a cartel – and contracting entities increasingly recognise such patterns.
Competition law in tenders
- Authority / court
- Konkurencijos taryba (Litauischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Konkurencijos įstatymas (verbotene Vereinbarungen)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Mitigating circumstances
- Acknowledgement of the infringement (15% reduction)
- Published
- 12 Feb 2026
- Konkurencijos taryba, Pranešimas 2026-02-12 (Archivkopie web.archive.org von kt.gov.lt) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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11 Feb 2026 Liga do Futebol Brasileiro (Libra), Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras u. a. (6 Organisationen)CADE: football league Libra and five clubs pay BRL 559,267.26 for gun jumping €90,565
The CADE Tribunal found that the Libra league, as a joint venture of clubs for the joint commercialisation of broadcasting and commercial rights, was notifiable and had been implemented before clearance, and approved a settlement (Acordo em APAC) with Libra and Flamengo, Palmeiras, Santos, São Paulo and Grêmio with an alleged pecuniary contribution of 559,267.26 BRL. The parties must notify the transactions already completed within 60 days and report changes to their commercialisation structures for three years; for the rival league FFU (formerly LFU) no infringement was found because the turnover thresholds were not met. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Clubs and associations that market rights jointly may form a notifiable joint venture and must obtain clearance before launch.
Joint commercialisation of rights as a notifiable joint venture
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Art. 88 § 3 Lei nº 12.529/2011
- Action
- Other
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Published
- 11 Feb 2026
Original amount 559,267.26 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 11 Feb 2026.
- Diário Oficial da União, 23.02.2026, Seção 1, S. 116: Ata da 260ª Sessão Ordinária (11.02.2026), APAC nº 08700.007461/2023-22 und 08700.005511/2023-37 Official register or notice
- CADE, 11.02.2026: Cade celebra acordo com Libra e FFU em investigação de consumação antecipada de atos de concentração Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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4 Feb 2026 Amazon.com, Inc., Amazon EU S.à r.l.Bundeskartellamt bans Amazon price controls and orders disgorgement of around 59 million EUR Disgorgement of profits
The Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office) prohibited Amazon from steering third-party sellers' prices on amazon.de through price control mechanisms that deactivate offers deemed too expensive or exclude them from the 'Buy Box'; such mechanisms are now only permitted exceptionally, for instance in cases of price gouging, with transparent rules and notifications. At the same time, for the first time since the 2023 reform, the authority ordered disgorgement of economic benefits: for the period from 7 November 2023 to 31 December 2024 Amazon must pay around 58.8 million EUR (press release: around 59 million EUR; the exact amount is redacted in the public version).
A platform operator that also sells on its platform must not steer sellers' prices through visibility sanctions and risks having the resulting benefits disgorged.
Platform operators interfering in sellers' pricing
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- § 19a Abs. 2 S. 1 Nr. 2 GWB, § 19 Abs. 1, Abs. 2 Nr. 1 GWB, Art. 102 AEUV; Vorteilsabschöpfung nach § 34 Abs. 1 GWB (Az. B2-73/20)
- Action
- Disgorgement of profits
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 5 Feb 2026
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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29 Jan 2026 RASEMA s.r.o.; M – D – J, spol. s.r.o.; SIMA plus Krompachy, s.r.o.; BarCom spol. s.r.o.Photovoltaic tender: 1.1 million EUR – the contracting entity was also a cartel member €1.1m
In a tender for industrial photovoltaic installations that was to be financed from EU Structural Funds, three bidders coordinated their bids so that a pre-selected bidder would win; the contracting entity BarCom acted as facilitator. The Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, PMÚ SR) imposed a total of 1,098,200 EUR and three-year procurement bans on all four; the EU funding was refused because of the indications of competition infringements, and the collusion was proven by e-mails secured during the inspection.
A contracting entity that determines the winner of a funded tender in advance is itself liable under competition law and additionally risks losing the funding.
Collusion in funded procurement
- Authority / court
- Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (PMÚ SR)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Slowakisches Wettbewerbsschutzgesetz (Submissionsabsprache)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 11 Feb 2026
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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29 Jan 2026 Associação de Guias de Informação Turística dos Açores (AGITA)Portugal: 8,200 EUR against Azores tour guide association for minimum price list €8,200
Since 2020, the only association of tour guides in the Azores (57 active members, around 43% of active guides) had recommended a fee table to its members by e-mail as minimum prices. Following a complaint, the Autoridade da Concorrência (Portuguese Competition Authority, AdC) imposed 8,200 EUR, taking the economic situation into account (date = press release).
Even small professional associations must not circulate fee tables as minimum prices – an e-mail is sufficient evidence.
No price recommendations by professional associations
- Authority / court
- Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei da Concorrência (Lei n.º 19/2012), Art. 9.º; Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Other
- Published
- 29 Jan 2026
- AdC sanciona Associação de Guias de Informação Turística dos Açores por fixação de preços Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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28 Jan 2026 Repsol Soluciones Energéticas (vormals Repsol Comercial de Productos Petrolíferos), Solred, Campsa Estaciones de Servicio u. a. (5 Gesellschaften)CNMC: €20.5m fine and procurement ban for Repsol over margin squeeze €20.5m
The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC, Spanish competition and markets authority) imposed a fine of 20,500,000 EUR on Repsol group companies, for which Repsol S.A. and Repsol Customer Centric are also jointly and severally liable as parent companies: between April and December 2022 Repsol used its dominant position in the wholesale supply of motor fuels to service stations to squeeze the diesel margins of independent stations by raising wholesale prices while granting additional discounts to professional drivers at its own stations. In addition, three companies are barred for six months from public tenders for the supply of diesel fuel.
Vertically integrated dominant firms must set wholesale and retail prices so that equally efficient competitors at the downstream level can remain viable.
Margin squeeze by vertically integrated undertakings
- Authority / court
- Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 2 und Art. 62.4.b) Ley 15/2007 de Defensa de la Competencia; Art. 102 AEUV; Vergabeverbot nach Art. 71.1.b) Ley 9/2017 de Contratos del Sector Público
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 3 Feb 2026
- CNMC, Resolución S/0011/22 DISTRIBUCIÓN HIDROCARBUROS (28.01.2026) Decision of an authority
- CNMC Expediente S/0011/22 - DISTRIBUCION HIDROCARBUROS Enforcement database of an authority
- La CNMC multa con 20,5 millones a varias empresas del Grupo Repsol y les prohíbe participar en contratos públicos Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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22 Jan 2026 SIA „Burde B.V.“Latvia: Burde B.V. fined for excessive prices for speed-camera software licences €24,199
The Konkurences padome (Latvian Competition Council) found that SIA „Burde B.V.“, the only distributor in Latvia of software licences for Gatso RT4 speed cameras, charged the state-owned company CSDD, which operates the cameras under a state mandate and depended on these licences, excessive prices from September 2022 to July 2023; within six months the price rose by around 260 %. It treated this as an abuse of a dominant position and imposed 24,199.25 EUR. The decision is not final.
An exclusive distributor supplying a locked-in customer must be able to justify price increases objectively.
- Authority / court
- Konkurences padome (Lettischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 13 Abs. 1 Nr. 4 Konkurences likums (Wettbewerbsgesetz)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Published
- 4 Feb 2026
- KP lēmums Nr. 5, lieta KL/2.2-5/24/16 (fotoradaru izplatīšana), 22.01.2026 – publiskojamā versija Decision of an authority
- Konkurences padomes lēmumi (Nr. 34, Statuss: Tiesvedībā, publicēts 04.02.2026) Enforcement database of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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21 Jan 2026 KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Woori Bank, Hana BankFour major banks exchanged loan-to-value ratios: KRW 272bn fine €158.2m
According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), the four banks exchanged their complete loan-to-value (LTV) ratios for mortgage lending over a long period, between 736 and 7,500 individual values per bank, and adjusted their own ratios accordingly; only conduct from December 2021, when the express prohibition of anti-competitive information exchange entered into force, was pursued. The KFTC issued cease-and-desist orders and fines totalling KRW 272,014 million (Kookmin KRW 69,747 million, Shinhan KRW 63,801 million, Woori KRW 51,535 million, Hana KRW 86,931 million), the first application of that provision.
Exchanging individual contract terms with competitors is a stand-alone competition law infringement even without price fixing.
Information exchange with competitors
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 40 Abs. 1 Nr. 9 MRFTA i. V. m. Art. 44 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 Durchführungsverordnung (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Financial services and insurance
- Published
- 21 Jan 2026
Original amount 272,014,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Jan 2026.
- KFTC press release (EN), 22 Jan 2026: KFTC Sanctions Four Major Commercial Banks for Collusive Information Exchange Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 21.01.2026: 4대 시중은행의 정보교환의 담합 행위 제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF) mit Bußgeldtabelle je Bank und Rechtsgrundlage Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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20 Jan 2026 PHOENIX Zdravotnícke zásobovanie, a.s.; TRANSMEDIC SLOVAKIA, s.r.o. (in Konkurs)Pharmaceutical cartel uncovered thanks to whistleblower: 7.8 million EUR against PHOENIX and TRANSMEDIC €7.8m
The two companies colluded in tenders of the General Health Insurance Company for the supply of medicines (2017–2020). For the first time, a cartel was uncovered on the basis of information from a whistleblower; the Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, PMÚ SR) imposed 7,595,200 EUR and a one-year procurement ban on PHOENIX and 201,800 EUR and a three-year procurement ban on TRANSMEDIC (first instance).
Whistleblowers receive a reward in Slovakia – internal reporting channels should be faster than the route to the authority.
Bid rigging in public tenders; whistleblowing channels
- Authority / court
- Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (PMÚ SR)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Slowakisches Wettbewerbsschutzgesetz (Submissionsabsprache)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Healthcare
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- PHOENIX: settlement with a 30% fine reduction and a shortened procurement ban.
- Published
- 24 Feb 2026
- KARTELY: PMÚ aj vďaka whistleblowerovi odhalil kartel v dodávkach liekov a uložil pokuty takmer 7,8 milióna eur Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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31 Dec 2025 C2MAC Group, Fonderie De Riccardis, Zanardi Fonderie u. a. (Gießereikartell, 12 Unternehmen und Assofond)Italy: 70 million EUR against 16 foundries and the association Assofond over price index cartel €70m
From 2004 to June 2024, foundries coordinated their pricing strategies via the association Assofond: they exchanged sensitive information and developed joint indexation mechanisms ("Assofond indicators") in order to push through price increases including margins. The AGCM imposed fines of 70 million EUR (maximum around 600 million EUR), taking the crisis in the sector into account as a mitigating factor. Addressees: C2MAC Group, Fonderia Corrà, Fonderie De Riccardis, Fonderie Guido Glisenti/Lead Time, Pilenga Baldassarre/E.F. Group, Fonderie Mora Gavardo/Camozzi Group, Zanardi Fonderie, VDP Fonderia, Fonderie Ariotti, Ironcastings, Fonderia Zardo, ZML Industries/Cividale, Assofond.
Joint price indices within an association are only permissible if they do not enable coordination of margins or prices – metalworking companies should have their association activities accompanied by competition law advice.
Association indices and price adjustment clauses as a coordination tool
- Authority / court
- Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Steel and metals
- Mitigating circumstances
- The severe crisis in the foundry sector was taken into account in setting the fines
- Published
- 31 Dec 2025
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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23 Dec 2025 Ryanair DAC, Ryanair Holdings plcItaly: 255.8 million EUR against Ryanair for obstructing travel agencies €255.8m
From April 2023 until at least April 2025, Ryanair obstructed travel agencies from buying Ryanair flights in combination with other services, for example through facial recognition procedures, account deletions, blocking of means of payment and restrictive partner agreements. The AGCM considered this to be an abuse of a dominant position and imposed fines of 255,761,692 EUR on a joint and several basis.
Dominant providers must not use technical barriers to force sales partners and resellers out of the market.
- Authority / court
- Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 102 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Transport, logistics and shipping
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 23 Dec 2025
- A568 - Ryanair DAC and its parent company Ryanair Holdings plc fined over € 255 million for abuse of a dominant position Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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18 Dec 2025 Snowball.xyz-Gruppe (Snowball.xyz, Šviesa, Tavo mokykla, Ateities pamoka) und AL holdingas-Gruppe (AL holdingas, Ugdymo sprendimai, UNT nuoma)E-register providers shared the market – 3.6 million EUR in cartel fines €3.63m
In August 2020, the operators of the electronic class registers ‘Tamo’ and ‘Eduka’ agreed to stop competing: one group kept the class register business, the other took over the digital learning content. Following acknowledgement of the infringement, the fines were reduced by 15%: 2,714,940 EUR jointly and severally for the Snowball.xyz group and 913,340 EUR for the AL holdingas group (Art. 101 TFEU). The decision can be appealed. Source: archived copy of the press release.
Agreements between competitors on ‘who does what’ are cartels – even when dressed up as portfolio streamlining.
Market sharing among competitors
- Authority / court
- Konkurencijos taryba (Litauischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Konkurencijos įstatymas; Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Mitigating circumstances
- Acknowledgement of the infringement (15% reduction)
- Published
- 18 Dec 2025
- Konkurencijos taryba, Pranešimas 2025-12-18 (Archivkopie web.archive.org von kt.gov.lt) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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18 Dec 2025 Pivovary Staropramen s.r.o.ÚOHS: CZK 6m fine for Pivovary Staropramen over excessive payment terms €245,982
The ÚOHS (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition) fined the brewer Pivovary Staropramen, as a buyer with significant market power, 6,000,000 CZK under the act on significant market power and unfair trading practices in the agri-food sector. Between June 2023 and August 2024 the brewer applied payment terms of up to 215 days instead of the permitted 30 days to four suppliers through 60 late payments. Because of a settlement, the announced fine of 7,500,000 CZK was reduced by 20%.
Purchasing and accounting must technically safeguard the statutory 30-day term for agri-food supplies instead of steering payments by liquidity.
Payment terms towards agri-food suppliers
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- § 4 Abs. 1 und 2 lit. k, § 8 Abs. 1 lit. a, Abs. 3 und 6 Zákon č. 395/2009 Sb. (Gesetz über erhebliche Marktmacht)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement (narovnání) with admission: 20% reduction of the 7,500,000 CZK fine announced in the statement of objections.
Original amount 6,000,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Dec 2025.
- ÚOHS, Rozhodnutí č. j. ÚOHS-49420/2025/400, sp. zn. ÚOHS-S0597/2025/TS, Brno 18. 12. 2025 Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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18 Dec 2025 Bravogroup Holding Vagyonkezelő Kft.Bravogroup: 32.6 million HUF for unnotified stake in Xiaomi distributor €84,042
In February 2023, the IT holding company acquired a 50% stake with negative sole control in the Xiaomi distributor Mystical Hungary Zrt., but only approached the Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (Hungarian Competition Authority, GVH) after 582 days and notified the concentration thereafter. Following voluntary disclosure, acknowledgement and waiver of legal remedies, the authority imposed a significantly reduced 32.6 million HUF.
Blocking rights (negative control) can also trigger a notification requirement – review stakes under merger control law before signing.
Merger control for minority stakes with veto rights
- Authority / court
- Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (GVH)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Ungarisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Vollzugsverbot
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Culpability
- negligent
- Mitigating circumstances
- Voluntary disclosure, acknowledgement and waiver of legal remedies.
- Published
- 18 Dec 2025
Original amount 32,600,000 HUF, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Dec 2025.
- Bejelentés és engedély nélkül végrehajtott fúzió miatt bírságolt a GVH Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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17 Dec 2025 Greencore Group plcGreencore/Bakkavor: takeover only with sale of sauce plant in Bristol Order
In the planned acquisition of the food manufacturer Bakkavor, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found a substantial lessening of competition in chilled own-label sauces for UK supermarkets. It cleared the merger only because Greencore undertook to sell its entire chilled soups and sauces plant in Bristol, including its employees, to a pre-determined purchaser.
Even overlaps in small product segments can hold up an entire acquisition – prepare remedies early.
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Enterprise Act 2002, s. 73(2) (Undertakings in lieu of reference)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Published
- 18 Dec 2025
- CMA case page: Greencore / Bakkavor merger inquiry Official register or notice
- CMA: Decision on acceptance of undertakings in lieu of reference (ME/2257/25), 17.12.2025 Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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16 Dec 2025 Apple Inc., Apple Distribution International Ltd, Apple Italia S.r.l.AGCM fines Apple €98.6m over its App Tracking Transparency rules €98.6m
The AGCM found that Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy, in force since 26 April 2021, constituted an exploitative abuse of a dominant position: third-party iOS app developers had to use Apple's ATT prompt in addition to their own consent request for the same purpose, a condition imposed unilaterally and disproportionately. Apple Inc., Apple Distribution International Ltd and Apple Italia S.r.l. were fined 98,635,416.67 EUR and ordered to end the conduct immediately; the authority expressly did not question Apple's aim of protecting privacy.
Even privacy-driven platform rules set by a dominant company must be proportionate for its business partners.
Abuse of market power through platform rules on consent
- Authority / court
- Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 102 AEUV; Art. 15 Legge n. 287/1990
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Mitigating circumstances
- The AGCM did not apply an increase for the very high group turnover, which its guidelines would have allowed, in view of parallel proceedings against Apple by other competition authorities.
- Published
- 22 Dec 2025
- AGCM, Provvedimento A561 (Adunanza 16.12.2025), Chiusura istruttoria Decision of an authority
- AGCM, Comunicato stampa 22.12.2025: A561 – Sanzione di oltre 98 milioni di euro ad Apple per abuso di posizione dominante Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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15 Dec 2025 Exide, FET (inkl. Elettra), Rombat, EUROBAT (Clarios Kronzeuge)EU: 72 million EUR against starter battery manufacturers and the association EUROBAT €72m
From 2005 to 2017, the manufacturers of automotive starter batteries agreed, with the help of the association EUROBAT, to publish jointly calculated lead surcharges (EUROBAT premiums) and to use them in price negotiations with carmakers. Fines: Exide 30 million EUR, Rombat 20.218 million EUR, Elettra 15.594 million EUR, FET 6.11 million EUR, EUROBAT 125,000 EUR; Clarios escaped a fine as leniency applicant.
Suppliers may pass on raw material surcharges individually, but must never fix them in an industry-wide coordinated manner via association indices.
Joint raw material surcharges among competitors via association indices
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV, Art. 53 EWR-Abkommen
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency programme (Clarios 100 %, FET 50 %, Rombat 30 %); reduction for inability to pay for one company; payment in instalments
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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15 Dec 2025 Aktiengesellschaft Hallenstadion Zürich (AGH); Ticketcorner AGWEKO fines Hallenstadion Zurich and Ticketcorner over ticketing clause €122,929
At the end of 2008 Aktiengesellschaft Hallenstadion Zürich and Ticketcorner AG agreed that the arena would only be let to organisers selling at least 50% of tickets through Ticketcorner, which hindered other ticketing providers. After the Federal Supreme Court found a competition-law infringement in 2020 and remitted the case (2C_113/2017), the Wettbewerbskommission (WEKO, Swiss Competition Commission) classed both companies' conduct in 2009 to 2011 as abuse of a dominant position and, by decision of 15 December 2025, fined the Hallenstadion around CHF 50,000 and Ticketcorner around CHF 65,000. The arena operator had concluded an amicable settlement; the decision can be appealed to the Federal Administrative Court.
Exclusivity clauses between strong market players remain a competition risk, even if the proceedings only end years later.
Exclusivity clauses and tying by dominant undertakings
- Authority / court
- Wettbewerbskommission (WEKO)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Kartellgesetz (KG): Missbrauch einer marktbeherrschenden Stellung; Rückweisung BGer 2C_113/2017 vom 12.02.2020
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Other
- Mitigating circumstances
- The arena operator concluded an amicable settlement with WEKO.
- Published
- 22 Jan 2026
Original amount 115,000 CHF, converted at the ECB reference rate of 15 Dec 2025.
- WEKO-Medienmitteilung vom 22.01.2026: WEKO büsst Hallenstadion und Ticketcorner Press release of an authority
- Newsroom-Schnittstelle der Bundesverwaltung: Volltext der WEKO-Medienmitteilung vom 22.01.2026 (weko_13429) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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11 Dec 2025 „ЗП Либра“ ООДZP Libra: 44,205 leva for poaching customers using competitor’s trade secrets €22,602
With the help of an employee of a competing insurance broker who later moved to ZP Libra, the broker unfairly concluded a brokerage agreement to the detriment of the competitor and used the competitor’s trade secrets to poach customers. The Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) imposed 29,470 leva (1% of 2024 turnover, Art. 36(1) ZZK, Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act) and 14,735 leva (0.5%, Art. 37(1) ZZK).
When hiring employees from competitors, make sure they do not bring customer lists or secrets with them.
Taking customer data and trade secrets when changing employer
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Art. 36 Abs. 1, Art. 37 Abs. 1 ZZK
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Financial services and insurance
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not reported here.
- Published
- 16 Dec 2025
Original amount 44,205 BGN, converted at the ECB reference rate of 11 Dec 2025.
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 1175 от 11.12.2025; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
- КЗК санкционира „ЗП Либра“ ООД за нелоялна конкуренция, 17.12.2025 (Archivkopie web.archive.org von cpc.bg) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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10 Dec 2025 Lech-Stahlwerke GmbHDüsseldorf Higher Regional Court: 21 million EUR fine on Lech-Stahlwerke for price fixing €21m
The Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf (Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf) fined Lech-Stahlwerke GmbH 21 million EUR for unlawful price fixing and the exchange of competitively sensitive information. This followed a negotiated agreement setting a fine range of 20 to 30 million EUR, after which the company limited its objection against the Bundeskartellamt's (Federal Cartel Office) fining decision of 27 January 2021 to the penalty; the proceedings against BGH Edelstahlwerke GmbH continue separately.
An objection to a cartel fine can end years later in a court-imposed fine running into millions; a negotiated agreement brings predictability, not acquittal.
Price fixing and exchange of sensitive information
- Authority / court
- Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf, 1. Kartellsenat (Urteil nach Einspruch gegen Bußgeldbescheid des Bundeskartellamts)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Kartellordnungswidrigkeit (Preisabsprachen, Informationsaustausch); Az. V-1 OWi OLG 1/24 (GWB)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Steel and metals
- Mitigating circumstances
- Negotiated agreement with the objection limited to the penalty; the court found an unlawful delay of one year and seven months in the authority's intermediate procedure.
- Published
- 19 Dec 2025
- OLG Düsseldorf: Urteil gegen Lech-Stahlwerke GmbH (19.12.2025) Court press release
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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10 Dec 2025 Elo Sistemas Eletrônicos S.A., FAE Sistemas de Medição S.A., Wasion da Amazônia (ehem. Dowertech da Amazônia)CADE: 73.83 million BRL in fines for electricity meter cartel €11.4m
The Tribunal of the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE, Brazilian competition authority) unanimously convicted the manufacturers Elo Sistemas Eletrônicos, FAE Sistemas de Medição (formerly Fae Ferragens e Aparelhos Elétricos) and Dowertech da Amazônia (now Wasion da Amazônia) of a cartel in electricity meters, in which between 2005 and 2014 prices in public and private tenders were agreed, the market was shared and monitored and cover bids were submitted. The companies received fines of 54,238,824.03 BRL, 15,167,886.53 BRL and 3,196,631.43 BRL. The case was triggered by a leniency application in 2014; in the same session CADE approved four further settlements worth around 15.5 million BRL. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Bid-rigging cartels are often uncovered through leniency applicants; compliance must consistently prevent contacts with competitors before bids are submitted.
Bid rigging and market sharing in tenders
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei nº 12.529/2011 (Lei de Defesa da Concorrência)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not set out here.
- Published
- 10 Dec 2025
Original amount 72,603,341.99 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 Dec 2025.
- Diário Oficial da União, 17.12.2025 – Ata da 259ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento do CADE (10.12.2025), Processo Administrativo nº 08700.008413/2014-60 Official register or notice
- CADE – Cade condena empresas por cartel no mercado de medidores de eletricidade (10.12.2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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10 Dec 2025 Rinnai Brasil Tecnologia de Aquecimento Ltda.CADE: Rinnai pays BRL 11.2m in settlement over minimum price requirements €1.77m
The CADE Tribunal approved a cease-and-desist settlement (TCC) with Rinnai Brasil in proceedings concerning the market for gas water heaters: according to the General Superintendence, the company had abused its dominant position by imposing minimum advertised prices on resellers, which acted as minimum advertised pricing in physical retail and in practice as resale price maintenance online. Rinnai undertook to cease the practices, to take precautions against new infringements and allegedly to pay 11,215,319.31 BRL to the Fund for Diffuse Rights (FDD). The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Manufacturers with a strong market position should not dictate minimum prices to resellers for advertising or online offers.
Minimum price requirements for resellers and resale price maintenance online
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Lei nº 12.529/2011 (Termo de Compromisso de Cessação)
- Action
- Other
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Published
- 11 Dec 2025
Original amount 11,215,319.31 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 Dec 2025.
- Diário Oficial da União, 17.12.2025, Seção 1, S. 108: Ata da 259ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento (10.12.2025), Requerimento de TCC nº 08700.005856/2025-52 Official register or notice
- CADE, 11.12.2025: Cade homologa acordos em investigação no mercado de aquecedores de água a gás Press release of an authority
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9 Dec 2025 CNH Industrial Polska sp. z o.o., Raitech sp. z o.o., PHU Perkoz sp. z o.o. u. a. (8 Unternehmen)CNH Industrial Polska and dealers: PLN 338.8m for agricultural machinery cartel €80.1m
UOKiK sanctioned CNH Industrial Polska and seven dealers of the New Holland, Case IH and Steyr brands for dividing the Polish market for agricultural machinery of these brands and coordinating prices. The fines on the undertakings total PLN 338,827,000 (CNH Industrial Polska 241,599,000, Raitech 24,391,000, Perkoz 23,778,000, Adler Agro 15,335,000, Rolserwis 13,356,000, a further dealer company (partnership) 8,249,000, Kisiel Agrotech 6,778,000, Kisiel 5,341,000 PLN). Fines on natural persons are not included in the amount. The decision is not final.
Agreements on sales territories and prices within a dealer network are serious cartel infringements in agricultural machinery distribution too.
Market sharing and price coordination between manufacturer and dealers
- Authority / court
- Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów (UOKiK)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 6 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und 3 ustawa o ochronie konkurencji i konsumentów; Art. 101 Abs. 1 lit. a und c AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not reported here.
Original amount 338,827,000 PLN, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Dec 2025.
- UOKiK-Entscheidungsdatenbank: Decyzja DOK-5/2025 (CNH Industrial Polska u. a.) Enforcement database of an authority
- Decyzja nr DOK-5/2025 vom 09.12.2025 (öffentliche Fassung) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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5 Dec 2025 Volvo Hungária Kereskedelmi és Szolgáltató Kft.; Seres Gépipari Kereskedelmi Kft.; GIF Modul Kft.; Interteher Kft.; Eurotrade Kft.; He Hans Eibinger Kft. (MUT Kft. ohne Buße nach Entschädigung)Refuse vehicle cartel: over 1.5 billion HUF, of which 270 million for obstructing the inspection €4.06m
In 2014–2015, chassis and body manufacturers allocated contracts and submitted cover bids in tenders for refuse collection and sewer cleaning vehicles. The Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (Hungarian Competition Authority, GVH) imposed cartel fines of 1,278.4 million HUF (of which 972.9 million on Volvo Hungária) and, in addition, a record procedural fine of 270 million HUF on Volvo Hungária for obstructing access to data secured during the inspection.
Regular meetings on ‘capacity planning’ with competitors are cartel evidence – and obstructing an inspection costs extra.
Bid rigging and conduct during inspections
- Authority / court
- Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (GVH)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Ungarisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV (Submissionsabsprachen, Verfahrensbuße)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Admissions and leniency applications by most participants; MUT paid 116 million HUF in compensation to contracting authorities.
- Published
- 5 Dec 2025
Original amount 1,548,400,000 HUF, converted at the ECB reference rate of 5 Dec 2025.
- Kukásautó-kartellt tárt fel a GVH Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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3 Dec 2025 The Boeing Company und Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc.Boeing/Spirit AeroSystems: takeover only with divestiture of Airbus supplier plants Order
For the 8.3 billion USD takeover of the fuselage and wing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) required Boeing to divest Spirit’s Airbus businesses to Airbus and the plant in Subang, Malaysia, to CTRM, to provide transitional services and to continue supplying defence competitors. A monitor oversees implementation.
Vertical acquisitions of a supplier on which competitors also depend often only go through with divestitures and supply commitments.
- Authority / court
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Section 7 Clayton Act; Section 5 FTC Act (Consent Order)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Defence and security
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- FTC Requires Boeing to Divest Several Spirit Assets to Proceed with Merger (03.12.2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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1 Dec 2025 SUROVINA d.o.o.; SALOMON d.o.o.; RECIKEL d.o.o.; DINOS d.o.o.Packaging waste: AVK finds market sharing by four waste management companies Order
In the reopened proceedings, the Javna agencija Republike Slovenije za varstvo konkurence (Slovenian Competition Protection Agency, AVK) found that the companies had shared the market for take-back schemes for packaging waste and agreed to stop providing their services to a competitor (now Interzero). The authority ordered immediate termination; the decision is not final, and an earlier decision from 2019 in the same matter is partly final.
An agreement to stop supplying a common competitor is a cartel – even in regulated waste management markets.
Boycott and market-sharing agreements
- Authority / court
- Javna agencija Republike Slovenije za varstvo konkurence (AVK)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 6 ZPOmK-1, Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Published
- 16 Apr 2026
- Izrek odločbe z dne 1. 12. 2025 (3062-5/2017) Decision of an authority
- AVK – Odločitve agencije Enforcement database of an authority
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21 Nov 2025 Rethmann SE & Co. KG (Rethmann-Gruppe, u. a. Remondis)Bundeskartellamt: Rethmann Group must notify future acquisitions for three years Order
Applying Section 32f(2) of the German Competition Act (GWB) for the first time, the Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office) required Rethmann SE & Co. KG and its affiliated companies (the Rethmann Group, which includes Remondis) to notify for three years before completion even mergers below the general turnover thresholds, where the target generates more than 1 million EUR in domestic turnover and at least 100,000 EUR in the collection of non-hazardous municipal waste or the processing of hollow glass. The decision builds on the findings of the sector inquiry into municipal waste completed at the end of 2023; it was not yet final when announced.
Market leaders in regionally defined markets must expect that even small acquisitions below the turnover thresholds may become notifiable.
Merger control obligations for small acquisitions
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- § 32f Abs. 2 GWB (Az. B5-31/24)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Published
- 24 Nov 2025
- Bundeskartellamt verpflichtet Rethmann-Gruppe zur Anmeldung künftiger Zusammenschlüsse (24.11.2025) Press release of an authority
- Bundeskartellamt, Beschluss B5-31/24 vom 21.11.2025 (Verfügung gem. § 32f Abs. 2 GWB, öffentliche Version) Decision of an authority
- Bundeskartellamt: Veröffentlichte Entscheidung – Anmeldeverpflichtung der Rethmann-Gruppe nach § 32f Abs. 2 GWB (Entscheidung vom 21.11.2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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19 Nov 2025 Pfanner Schutzbekleidung GmbH, Protos GmbH, Pronocer Holding GmbH (vormals Holding-AG der Gruppe)Pfanner: €400,000 fine for resale price maintenance in workwear trade €400,000
The Kartellgericht (Cartel Court) fined Pfanner Schutzbekleidung GmbH, Protos GmbH and their holding company (now Pronocer Holding GmbH) 400,000 EUR because, from 9 March 2016 to 25 November 2021, they fixed their dealers' resale prices for work and protective clothing in Austria. Compliance was monitored systematically, dealers who deviated were contacted, and in 2019 a circular reminded all dealers of the prices. Reductions were granted for the settlement, cooperation and a newly introduced compliance system.
Circulars urging dealers to keep to prices are direct evidence of resale price maintenance and should be legally reviewed before they are sent.
Resale price maintenance towards dealers
- Authority / court
- Oberlandesgericht Wien als Kartellgericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 Abs. 1 und 4 KartG und Art. 101 AEUV; § 29 Z 1 lit. a und d KartG
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Repeat case
- no
- Mitigating circumstances
- Consensual termination of the proceedings, cooperation with the BWB (Federal Competition Authority), introduction of a compliance system.
- Published
- 18 Sep 2026
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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17 Nov 2025 TotalEnergies Marketing France, Rubis Énergie, Rubis Terminal, EG RetailFrance: 187.5 million EUR against fuel suppliers over depot agreement in Corsica €187.5m
Between 2016 and 2023, the shareholders of the Corsican fuel storage company DPLC made the use of the depots conditional on a shareholding by means of a contractual clause; non-shareholders had to buy their fuel from their competitors, which could push up pump prices in Corsica (decision 25-D-07). Fines: TotalEnergies Marketing France 115.82 million EUR, Rubis 64.67 million EUR, EG Retail 7 million EUR.
Shared infrastructure of competitors must be open to third parties on fair terms – shareholder agreements should be reviewed under competition law.
Joint ventures of competitors and access conditions for third parties
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. L.420-1 Code de commerce, Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 17 Nov 2025
- Carburants en Corse : l'Autorité de la concurrence inflige une sanction de 187,5 millions d'euros Press release of an authority
- Décision 25-D-07 relative à des pratiques mises en œuvre dans le secteur de l'approvisionnement, du stockage et de la distribution des carburants en Corse Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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14 Nov 2025 Valvoline Inc. und Greenbriar Equity Fund V, L.P.Valvoline/Greenbriar: FTC requires sale of 45 quick oil change shops Order
Valvoline wanted to acquire around 200 Oil Changers shops from Greenbriar for 625 million USD. Because the two competed directly in 25 local markets, under the proposed consent order the acquisition may only be completed if 45 shops are sold to Main Street Auto.
For branch networks too, the competition authority examines each local market individually – map overlaps before the deal.
- Authority / court
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Section 7 Clayton Act; Section 5 FTC Act (Consent Order)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- FTC Requires Divestiture of Oil Change Shops in Valvoline-Greenbriar Deal (14.11.2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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6 Nov 2025 DoctolibFrance: 4.665 million EUR against Doctolib for abuse in doctor appointment booking €4.67m
Doctolib tied doctors with exclusivity clauses, bundled telemedicine with the appointment booking subscription and in 2018 acquired its main competitor in order to eliminate it (decision 25-D-06). Fines: 4.615 million EUR for exclusivity and tying, 50,000 EUR for the acquisition.
Platforms with high market shares should have exclusivity clauses, bundled offers and acquisitions of rivals reviewed under competition law.
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 102 AEUV, Art. L.420-2 Code de commerce
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Healthcare
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 6 Nov 2025
- L'Autorité de la concurrence sanctionne Doctolib à hauteur de 4 665 000 euros Press release of an authority
- Décision 25-D-06 relative à des pratiques mises en œuvre dans le secteur de la prise de rendez-vous médicaux en ligne Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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6 Nov 2025 UAB „Emsi“Emsi took over four filling stations without merger clearance – 1.02 million EUR €1.02m
In 2024, Emsi acquired control of four filling stations in Kaunas, Vilnius and Maišiagala through leases (via an affiliated company) and purchases without obtaining the required clearances, ignoring previous notices from the Konkurencijos taryba (Lithuanian Competition Council). For two concentrations, fines of 545,160 EUR and 477,010 EUR were imposed, a total of 1,022,170 EUR, together with an obligation to remedy the situation within three months. Source: archived copy of the press release.
Even the long-term lease of individual sites may require notification – if in doubt, ask the authority beforehand.
Merger control also for leases of individual sites
- Authority / court
- Konkurencijos taryba (Litauischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Konkurencijos įstatymas (Anmelde- und Genehmigungspflicht für Zusammenschlüsse)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Published
- 6 Nov 2025
- Konkurencijos taryba, Pranešimas 2025-11-06 (Archivkopie web.archive.org von kt.gov.lt) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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3 Nov 2025 Groupe ParfaitFrance: 7.6 million EUR against Groupe Parfait for failing to meet merger remedies (Martinique) €7.6m
In 2022, clearance of an acquisition in food retail in Martinique was made conditional on the divestiture of a Géant Casino hypermarket by September 2023; Parfait only sold it in September 2025, allowed the value of the assets to deteriorate and obstructed the trustee (decision 25-D-05). Fines: 4.5 million EUR (divestiture), 2.5 million EUR (preservation of value), 600,000 EUR (cooperation).
Merger control commitments are binding – missed deadlines and a lack of cooperation with the trustee are sanctioned separately.
Compliance with merger remedies and cooperation with trustees
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Verstoß gegen Zusagen aus Freigabeentscheidung 22-DCC-254 (Fusionskontrolle, Code de commerce)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Published
- 3 Nov 2025
- Distribution alimentaire à la Martinique : l'Autorité inflige au groupe Parfait des sanctions (25-D-05) Press release of an authority
- Décision 25-D-05 relative au respect des engagements annexés à la décision n° 22-DCC-254 Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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31 Oct 2025 "MAXIMA Latvija" SIAMaxima Latvija pays 1.87 million EUR for price pressure on food suppliers €1.87m
From November 2021 to August 2024, the retailer (market share 28%) put pressure on economically dependent suppliers: price increases remained unapproved for months, lower prices were demanded in the form of ultimatums and delisting was threatened. The Konkurences padome (Latvian Competition Council) found an unfair trading practice, imposed 1,872,805 EUR and set clear deadlines for negotiations.
Purchasing departments of retailers with strong market power need clear rules for price negotiations – threats of delisting are off limits.
Fair purchasing negotiations with suppliers
- Authority / court
- Konkurences padome (Lettischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Negodīgas tirdzniecības prakses aizlieguma likums (NTPAL)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Published
- 5 Nov 2025
- Konkurences padome soda „MAXIMA Latvija“ SIA par negodīgas tirdzniecības prakses īstenošanu (05.11.2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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30 Oct 2025 Barratt Redrow, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey u. a. (7 Wohnungsbauunternehmen)CMA: seven housebuilders pay GBP 100m after suspected information exchange €113.6m
The CMA accepted binding commitments from Barratt Redrow, Bellway, Berkeley, Bloor Homes, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Vistry after investigating whether they had exchanged competitively sensitive information such as achieved sale prices. The companies committed to stop sharing such information, introduce compliance measures and annual competition law training, help develop industry guidance and jointly pay GBP 100m to affordable housing programmes; no infringement was found.
Even exchanging current sale prices with competitors can trigger a competition investigation and large payments; contacts with competitors need clear rules and training.
Exchanging pricing and sales information with competitors
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Chapter I prohibition Competition Act 1998 (Verdacht); Verpflichtungszusagen nach section 31A Competition Act 1998
- Action
- Other
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Published
- 30 Oct 2025
Original amount 100,000,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 30 Oct 2025.
- CMA case page: Investigation into suspected anti-competitive conduct by housebuilders Enforcement database of an authority
- CMA: Decision to accept commitments in relation to suspected anti-competitive conduct by certain housebuilders, Case 51392 (30 October 2025) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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30 Oct 2025 MM Grupp OÜCinema chain MM Grupp (Apollo) took over Forum Cinemas without clearance – 7.5 million EUR €7.51m
In 2021, the Estonian parent company of Apollo cinemas acquired control of Forum Cinemas Lithuania before the notified merger had been cleared and integrated the cinemas in Vilnius and Kaunas into its network, even though the Konkurencijos taryba (Lithuanian Competition Council) had provisionally expressed competition concerns. Fine of 7,507,930 EUR (0.8% of consolidated worldwide turnover) and obligation to end the infringement within six months. Source: archived copy of the press release.
No implementation before clearance: restructurings and leases can also constitute prohibited early implementation.
- Authority / court
- Konkurencijos taryba (Litauischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Konkurencijos įstatymas (Vollzugsverbot bei Zusammenschlüssen)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Published
- 30 Oct 2025
- Konkurencijos taryba, Pranešimas 2025-10-30 (Archivkopie web.archive.org von kt.gov.lt) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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27 Oct 2025 SINOP ALFA, s.r.o.SINOP ALFA: 70,000 EUR for refusing to hand over business mobile phone during inspection €70,000
During an unannounced inspection in the air-conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump services sector, the company repeatedly refused to produce a mobile phone used for business purposes. The Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, PMÚ SR) regarded this as obstruction of the inspection and imposed 70,000 EUR, around 1% of the previous year’s turnover (not final).
Business smartphones are part of the documents that may be inspected – a dawn raid guide for employees prevents costly wrong reactions.
Conduct during inspections (dawn raids), handing over mobile devices
- Authority / court
- Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (PMÚ SR)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Slowakisches Wettbewerbsschutzgesetz (Mitwirkungspflicht bei Nachprüfungen)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 28 Oct 2025
- KARTELY: PMÚ uložil pokutu za nespoluprácu počas inšpekcie Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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22 Oct 2025 BofA Securities Inc., Nomura International plc, Standard Chartered Bank u. a. (5 Banken)CADE: settlements with five banks in offshore FX cartel totalling BRL 79m €12.7m
On 22 October 2025 the CADE Tribunal approved, in a single block, five cease-and-desist settlements (Termos de Compromisso de Cessação, TCC) with banks and allegedly set the following pecuniary contributions: BofA Securities Inc. 33,010,207.04 BRL, Nomura International plc 32,145,917.76 BRL, Standard Chartered Bank 11,544,947.78 BRL, Credit Suisse AG 1,582,051.57 BRL and MUFG Bank 714,782.33 BRL, together 78,997,906.48 BRL. The session minutes do not state the subject of the proceedings; all five banks are, however, among the parties whose conviction the General Superintendence had recommended in April 2025 in the proceedings on the offshore foreign-exchange cartel (according to CADE, collusion on the prices of FX transactions, exchange of sensitive information and disadvantaging other market participants such as brokers). The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
FX traders must not coordinate prices or customers with competitors; chats between banks are a typical cartel risk.
Price-fixing and information exchange in foreign-exchange trading
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei nº 12.529/2011 (Termo de Compromisso de Cessação)
- Action
- Other
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Financial services and insurance
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not set out here.
- Published
- 30 Oct 2025
Original amount 78,997,906.48 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Oct 2025.
- Diário Oficial da União, 30.10.2025, Seção 1, S. 87: Ata da 256ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento do CADE (22.10.2025), Punkte 9–13 Official register or notice
- Diário Oficial da União, 10.04.2025, Seção 1, S. 44: Despacho SG nº 7/2025, Processo Administrativo nº 08700.004633/2015-04 (Empfehlung der Verurteilung) Official register or notice
- CADE, 09.04.2025: Superintendência-Geral do Cade recomenda condenação de cartel do câmbio offshore Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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14 Oct 2025 GucciGucci: €119.67m fine for resale price maintenance towards retailers €119.7m
According to the European Commission's findings, from April 2015 to April 2023 Gucci restricted the freedom of independent online and brick-and-mortar retailers throughout the EEA to set their own resale prices, for example through requirements on recommended prices, maximum discounts and sales periods, and prohibited online sales for one product line. Owing to its cooperation, including revealing an infringement unknown to the Commission, the fine was reduced by 50% to 119,674,000 EUR; separate decisions against Chloé and Loewe were adopted on the same day.
Manufacturers must not impose prices, discount limits or sales periods on independent retailers, nor monitor and enforce compliance with them.
Resale price maintenance in distribution
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV; Art. 53 EWR-Abkommen
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- Cooperation providing evidence of significant added value, disclosure of an unknown infringement and acknowledgement: 50% reduction.
- Published
- 14 Oct 2025
- Commission fines fashion brands Gucci, Chloé and Loewe over €157 million for anticompetitive pricing practices (IP/25/2361) Press release of an authority
- Presscorner-Schnittstelle, Volltext IP/25/2361 Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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30 Sep 2025 Bauunternehmung Pusiol GmbHConstruction cartel: €130,000 on civil engineering firm Pusiol, losses considered €130,000
The Kartellgericht (Cartel Court) fined Bauunternehmung Pusiol GmbH, a subsidiary of Steiner Baugesellschaft m.b.H., allegedly 130,000 EUR for taking part in the construction cartel in Lower Austria from July 2002 to August 2016 (price fixing, market sharing and information exchange in civil engineering tenders). The BWB (Federal Competition Authority) set the fine lower because of the company's limited financial capacity, as it reported annual losses in 2023 and 2024; the company gave a full acknowledgement.
Collusion from long ago is still punished; a strained financial position can reduce the fine but cannot avert it.
Bid rigging in tenders
- Authority / court
- Oberlandesgericht Wien als Kartellgericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 Abs. 1 KartG und Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV; § 29 Abs. 1 Z 1 lit. a und d KartG
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Repeat case
- no
- Mitigating circumstances
- Limited financial capacity (losses in 2023 and 2024); full acknowledgement.
- Published
- 4 Mar 2026
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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25 Sep 2025 „Смарт Софт“ ЕООДBidder Smart Soft denigrates competitor in letters to schools – 37,410 leva €19,128
During ongoing tenders for school equipment, Smart Soft sent dozens of identical letters to schools in the Plovdiv/Pazardzhik/Panagyurishte region containing untrue or distorted statements about a competitor. The Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) found damage to reputation (Art. 30 ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act) over around two months and imposed 3% of 2024 turnover, i.e. 37,410 leva. An appeal has been lodged against the decision.
Have sales letters about competitors – especially to public contracting authorities – legally reviewed before they are sent.
Communication about competitors in sales
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Art. 30 ZZK (Schädigung des guten Rufs eines Wettbewerbers)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
Original amount 37,410 BGN, converted at the ECB reference rate of 25 Sep 2025.
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 869 от 25.09.2025; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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23 Sep 2025 Eni S.p.A., Kuwait Petroleum Italia S.p.A. (Q8), Italiana Petroli S.p.A. (IP) u. a. (6 Unternehmen)Fuel cartel: AGCM fines Eni, Q8, IP and three others a total of €936.7m €936.7m
According to the AGCM, Eni, Kuwait Petroleum Italia (Q8), Italiana Petroli (IP), Esso Italiana, Tamoil Italia and Saras raised the price component for blending biofuels (the "componente bio") simultaneously and in a coordinated manner from 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2023; price information in the trade publication Staffetta Quotidiana, among other things, served to stabilise the arrangement. The fines total 936,659,087 EUR: Eni 336,214,660, Kuwait Petroleum Italia 172,592,363, Italiana Petroli 163,669,804, Esso Italiana 129,363,561, Tamoil Italia 91,029,755 and Saras 43,788,944 EUR. Eni's basic amount was increased by 10–15% for its leading role in initiating and monitoring the coordination.
A competition compliance programme only reduces a fine if it is effectively implemented and demonstrated in good time, and public price information can itself sustain a cartel.
Competition law: coordinated price increases and price signalling via trade media
- Authority / court
- Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV; Art. 15 Legge n. 287/1990
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Mitigating circumstances
- Saras received a reduction of 5–10% because it submitted its antitrust compliance programme in January 2024, which the AGCM regarded as in good time; the AGCM could no longer take into account the programmes that Eni and IP only submitted in June 2025.
- Published
- 26 Sep 2025
- AGCM, Provvedimento I864 (Adunanza 23.09.2025), Chiusura istruttoria e sanzioni Decision of an authority
- AGCM, Comunicato stampa 26.09.2025: I864 – Sanzione per oltre 936 milioni complessivi a Eni, Esso, Ip, Q8, Saras e Tamoil Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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18 Sep 2025 SIA „SĒME“Latvia: 46,300 EUR for SĒME for obstructing a Competition Council dawn raid €46,300
During an unannounced inspection by the Konkurences padome (Latvian Competition Council) on 6 November 2024 in a suspected cartel case, the company partly refused to provide information, and an internet block set up on a computer was not lifted in time. The authority penalised both as procedural infringements with 18,519.86 EUR and 27,779.80 EUR, totalling 46,299.66 EUR, even though it closed the underlying cartel case for lack of evidence.
Companies should have clear dawn-raid rules so that explanations are given and IT access is released to investigators immediately.
Conduct during competition authority inspections
- Authority / court
- Konkurences padome (Lettischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 9.4 Abs. 1 Nr. 5 Konkurences likums (Wettbewerbsgesetz)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Other
- Published
- 30 Sep 2025
- KP lēmums Nr. 20, lieta PP/2.2-8/25/2 (SĒME), 18.09.2025 Decision of an authority
- Konkurences padomes lēmumi (Nr. 17, Statuss: Spēkā, paziņots 30.09.2025) Enforcement database of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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5 Sep 2025 GoogleGoogle: €2.95bn fine for self-preferencing in advertising technology €2.95bn
According to the European Commission's findings, Google had, since at least 2014, abused its dominant position in publisher ad servers (DFP) and in programmatic ad buying tools (Google Ads, DV360) by favouring its own ad exchange AdX, for example by informing it in advance of the best rival bid. In addition to the fine of €2.95bn, the Commission ordered Google to end the self-preferencing and to propose measures against the conflicts of interest along the adtech supply chain; earlier fines imposed on Google for abuse of dominance were taken into account.
A company that is dominant and active at several levels of a value chain must treat its own services and those of rivals equally and resolve conflicts of interest organisationally.
Self-preferencing of own services by dominant companies
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 102 AEUV; Art. 54 EWR-Abkommen
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Repeat case
- yes
- Published
- 5 Sep 2025
- Commission fines Google €2.95 billion over abusive practices in online advertising technology (IP/25/1992) Press release of an authority
- Presscorner-Schnittstelle, Volltext IP/25/1992 Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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1 Sep 2025 SIA "SILTUMTEHSERVISS", SIA "Apkure IM", SIA "ADAPTERIS", SIA "Alpex", SIA "Infrakom"Bid-rigging cartel in pipeline construction contracts – five construction firms pay 513,508 EUR €513,508
From 2021 to 2024, two groups of construction companies coordinated in more than 30 public tenders for the construction and repair of utility pipelines: they exchanged sensitive information, determined winners and submitted sham bids. Prompted by information from the contracting entity Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks, the Konkurences padome (Latvian Competition Council) imposed a total of 513,508.08 EUR.
Jointly preparing bids with competitors – even where the work is later carried out jointly – is a cartel; tender teams must know this.
Competition law in tenders
- Authority / court
- Konkurences padome (Lettischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 11 Abs. 1 Konkurences likums
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- All companies except Infrakom concluded a settlement with the Competition Council, acknowledged the facts and waived an appeal; in return, a 10% fine reduction.
- Published
- 10 Sep 2025
- KP atklāj karteli inženierkomunikāciju būvdarbu iepirkumos (10.09.2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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26 Aug 2025 GXO Logistics, Inc. und Wincanton LimitedGXO/Wincanton: supermarket warehouse logistics must be sold after takeover Order
GXO had already acquired Wincanton in April 2024; the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed a hold-separate order, appointed a monitoring trustee and, in Phase 2, found a lessening of competition in dedicated warehousing services for grocery retail. Under the final undertakings, GXO committed to divest Wincanton’s business serving supermarket customers.
Anyone completing a deal before the merger review has concluded bears the risk of having to give up parts of the acquired business again.
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Enterprise Act 2002, ss. 41, 82, 90 (Final Undertakings)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Transport, logistics and shipping
- CMA case page: GXO / Wincanton merger inquiry Official register or notice
- CMA: Notice of acceptance of Final Undertakings (GXO / Wincanton), 26.08.2025 Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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25 Aug 2025 FirstRand Bank Ltd (WesBank); Toyota Financial Services South Africa Ltd; Toyota Motor Corporation u. a. (6 Unternehmen)Competition Tribunal: WesBank and Toyota companies allegedly pay ZAR 30m over non-compete clause €1.46m
According to the Competition Commission, a non-compete clause in the 2000 shareholders' agreement of Toyota Financial Services South Africa (TFSSA), in which WesBank holds a one-third stake, obliged the parties not to compete with each other in financing Toyota vehicles; WesBank therefore referred customers' finance requests to TFSSA (market division). In a settlement without admission of liability, the restraint is relaxed so that WesBank may provide finance quotes to retail customers and dealers at their request, and the six parties (FirstRand Bank, its division WesBank, TFSSA, Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Financial Services (UK), Toyota South Africa) allegedly pay ZAR 30m jointly or severally. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Non-compete clauses in joint venture shareholders' agreements should be reviewed regularly, as they can deprive customers of a choice between providers.
Non-compete clauses in joint ventures and customer freedom of choice
- Authority / court
- Competition Tribunal of South Africa (auf Antrag der Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Competition Act 89 of 1998, s. 4(1)(b)(ii); ss. 49D, 58(1)(b)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Financial services and insurance
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement without admission of liability to end protracted proceedings.
- Published
- 25 Aug 2025
Original amount 30,000,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 25 Aug 2025.
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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25 Aug 2025 PAUPE HOLDING SA, Bitusag S.A., Bitusag Neuchâtel SA, Wyss Fils SA, Prodo SA, Duckert SAWEKO fines road maintenance firms in Jura/Neuchâtel over bid rigging Fine
Regional suppliers of surface treatments and chip sealing in road maintenance colluded on bids and allocated territories. Switzerland's Competition Commission (Wettbewerbskommission, WEKO) imposed sanctions on Bitusag/Paupe (jointly and severally, CHF 640,000–990,000, exact amount redacted), Wyss Fils (CHF 44,000–74,000), Prodo (CHF 760) and Duckert (CHF 0) and approved amicable settlements; the investigation against Colas Suisse was discontinued.
Small regional road builders are also sanctioned – cover bids and territorial protection must disappear from corporate culture.
Cover bids and territorial agreements in regional road construction
- Authority / court
- Wettbewerbskommission (WEKO)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 5 Abs. 3 i.V.m. Abs. 1 KG, Art. 49a Abs. 1 KG
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Amicable settlements; leniency programme (Duckert free of sanctions)
- Enduits superficiels et gravillonnage : Décision du 25 août 2025 Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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18 Aug 2025 LandsvirkjunIceland: Landsvirkjun fined 1.4 billion ISK for margin squeeze €9.79m
Samkeppniseftirlitið (Icelandic Competition Authority) found that the dominant electricity producer Landsvirkjun, from 2017 to 2021, in many cases bid lower in the tenders of grid operator Landsnet for transmission losses than the price at which it sold wholesale electricity to competitors, so that they could only keep up at a loss (margin squeeze). The authority classified this as an intentional abuse of a dominant position and imposed a fine of 1,400,000,000 ISK; aggravating factors were the long duration and the fact that the conduct increased after Landsvirkjun knew of the investigation.
A dominant company that also supplies its competitors must price its own offers so that these customers can still compete profitably on the downstream market.
Abuse of market power: margin squeeze against competitors who are also customers
- Authority / court
- Samkeppniseftirlitið
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 11 Samkeppnislög Nr. 44/2005 (isländisches Wettbewerbsgesetz) und Art. 54 EWR-Abkommen; Geldbuße nach Art. 37 Samkeppnislög
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 18 Aug 2025
Original amount 1,400,000,000 ISK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Aug 2025.
- Samkeppniseftirlitið: Ákvörðun nr. 29/2025 – Ólögmætur verðþrýstingur Landsvirkjunar á raforkumarkaði (18. ágúst 2025) Decision of an authority
- Samkeppniseftirlitið: Ákvörðun 29/2025 (Übersichtsseite mit Datum und Unternehmen) Decision of an authority
- Samkeppniseftirlitið: Landsvirkjun sektuð vegna alvarlegra brota á samkeppnislögum (18. ágúst 2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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13 Aug 2025 Portugal: 30,000 EUR for exclusive tying of banana growers on Madeira €30,000
A dominant company for the collection, distribution and marketing of Madeira bananas (name not given) required producers to sign exclusivity declarations. In a settlement procedure (PRC/2025/6), it ended the practice and paid 30,000 EUR (date = press release).
Dominant buyers must not tie suppliers through exclusivity clauses – even small regional markets are being watched.
- Authority / court
- Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Lei da Concorrência (Lei n.º 19/2012), Art. 11.º; Art. 102 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement (transação), full cooperation, immediate cessation, short duration
- Published
- 13 Aug 2025
- AdC sanciona empresa por abuso de posição dominante na comercialização de banana da Madeira Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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12 Aug 2025 Nol Universe Co., Ltd. (Yanolja), Yeogi Eottae CompanyBooking platforms Yanolja and Yeogi Eottae let prepaid discount coupons expire €954,488
The two leading accommodation booking platforms sold small and medium-sized lodging businesses advertising packages whose price included discount coupons for guests, and let unused coupons expire without compensation (Yanolja at the end of the contract period, Yeogi Eottae through a validity of only one day). The KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority) treated this as an abuse of a superior bargaining position, issued corrective and notification orders and imposed fines totalling KRW 1,540 million: KRW 540 million on Nol Universe (Yanolja) and KRW 1,000 million, the statutory maximum fixed-amount fine, on Yeogi Eottae.
Platforms must not devalue services that partners have already paid for through unilateral expiry rules.
Fair terms towards dependent business partners on platforms
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 45 Abs. 1 Nr. 6 MRFTA i. V. m. Art. 52 und Anhang 2 Nr. 6 lit. d Durchführungsverordnung (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Published
- 12 Aug 2025
Original amount 1,540,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Aug 2025.
- KFTC press release (EN), 13 Aug 2025: KFTC Sanctions Yanolja and Yeogi Eottae for Abuse of Superior Bargaining Position Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 12.08.2025: 2개 숙박앱 사업자의 거래상지위 남용행위 제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF) mit Rechtsgrundlage und Maßnahmen je Unternehmen Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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31 Jul 2025 ZGR Global Pte. Ltd.; Hanshan Money Express Pte. Ltd.CCCS: 5.37 million SGD against two remittance shops for exchanging exchange rates €3.61m
ZGR Global (formerly Zhongguo Remittance) and Hanshan Money Express, two adjacent leading providers of Chinese yuan remittances in People's Park Complex, shared their current and partly non-public remittance rates with each other daily, often several times a day, from at least January 2016 to February 2022, verbally over the counter, on paper slips or by phone. The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) found this to infringe s 34 of the Competition Act and on 31 July 2025 imposed penalties totalling 5,365,007 SGD (ZGR Global 2,793,700, Hanshan 2,571,307 SGD). In addition to its cooperation discount, Hanshan received a further 10% discount for its admission under the Fast Track Procedure.
Even routinely sharing current prices with the competitor next door is prohibited coordination; prices must be set independently.
No exchange of prices or pricing intentions with competitors
- Authority / court
- Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Competition Act 2004, s 34
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Financial services and insurance
- Mitigating circumstances
- Hanshan: discount for cooperation plus a further 10% for its admission under the Fast Track Procedure.
- Published
- 31 Jul 2025
Original amount 5,365,007 SGD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 31 Jul 2025.
- CCCS: CCCS Penalises Chinese Yuan Remittance Service Providers $5.36 Million for Illegal Information Exchange (31.07.2025) Press release of an authority
- CCCS Public Register: CCCS 500-100-2020-003 (Decision Date 31.07.2025) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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25 Jul 2025 Tamro Eesti OÜTamro Eesti: order against unfair payment terms for food supplements Order
In consignment agreements, the pharmaceutical wholesaler had made payment to suppliers of food supplements dependent on subsequent resale (payment period over 30 days) and had reserved the right to hold suppliers liable for spoiled goods. The Konkurentsiamet (Estonian Competition Authority) found infringements of the act on unfair trading practices in the food supply chain and ordered amended contractual terms.
Purchasing terms in the food sector – including for food supplements – must comply with the 30-day payment period and the prohibition on shifting risk.
- Authority / court
- Konkurentsiamet (Estnische Wettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- § 4 Abs. 1 und 2, § 5 Abs. 2, § 7 Abs. 1 PTEKS (UTP-Richtlinie (EU) 2019/633)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Ettekirjutus Tamro Eesti OÜ-le ebaausate kaubandustavade kasutamise lõpetamiseks nr 11-4/2025-001, 25.07.2025 Decision of an authority
- Konkurentsiamet – Ausad kaubandustavad: juhtumid Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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14 Jul 2025 Telefónica de España, S.A.U.CNMC: €20m fine on Telefónica for breaching DTS merger commitments €20m
The Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC, Spanish competition and markets authority) fined Telefónica de España 20,000,000 EUR because from August 2021 to April 2023 it tied its Movistar Fusión and MiMovistar bundles including pay TV and device rental to minimum contract periods and early termination penalties. This breached the commitments under which the acquisition of DTS had been cleared in 2015; the CNMC treated the repeated breaches of these commitments as an aggravating factor.
Commitments given for merger clearance also apply to later product variants; new bundles must be checked against the conditions before launch.
Complying with merger remedies in product marketing
- Authority / court
- Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Art. 62.4.c) und Art. 64.2.a) Ley 15/2007 de Defensa de la Competencia; Zusagen 1.1 und 1.1.2 einer früheren Fusionsfreigabe
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Repeat case
- yes
- Published
- 30 Jul 2025
- CNMC, Resolución SNC/DC/004/25 FUSIÓN DISPOSITIVOS (14.07.2025) Decision of an authority
- CNMC Expediente SNC/DC/004/25 - FUSIÓN DISPOSITIVOS Enforcement database of an authority
- La CNMC multa a Telefónica con 20 millones de euros por incumplir los compromisos de la compra de DTS Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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9 Jul 2025 TOMMY d.o.o.Croatia: 212,500 EUR fine for TOMMY over selling food below purchase price €212,500
The Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (AZTN, Croatian Competition Agency) found that the retail chain TOMMY d.o.o. sold twelve food products to consumers on 4 October 2023 below their purchase price including VAT by combining a promotional price with a 10 % customer discount, which the law against unfair trading practices in the food supply chain prohibits. The authority stressed that discounts as such are permitted and, taking several mitigating circumstances into account, imposed 212,500 EUR.
Promotional prices and stackable customer discounts must be checked against the purchase price including VAT before launch.
Checking price promotions and discount combinations in food retail
- Authority / court
- Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (AZTN)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 11 Abs. 1 Nr. 24 i. V. m. Art. 4 Abs. 2 Nr. 6 Zakon o zabrani nepoštenih trgovačkih praksi u lancu opskrbe hranom (ZNTP)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- The authority took several mitigating circumstances into account.
- Published
- 22 Jul 2025
- AZTN Rješenje UP/I 034-03/24-04/003 (TOMMY d.o.o.), 09.07.2025 Decision of an authority
- Provedba ZNTP-a: AZTN kaznio TOMMY d.o.o., Split s 212.500,00 eura zbog nepoštene trgovačke prakse (22.07.2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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8 Jul 2025 Markant Handels- und Industriewaren-Vermittlungs AG und 16 Händlerinnen (in der Quelle nicht namentlich genannt)WEKO fines 16 retailers in the Markant buying cooperation around CHF 28 million €29.9m
The Wettbewerbskommission (WEKO, Swiss Competition Commission) found discounts negotiated jointly through the Markant cooperation to be lawful, but not opaque rebates: suppliers had to buy an ever more expensive service package from Markant, part of whose fees Markant passed on undisclosed to 16 retailers, and suppliers who refused faced collective countermeasures up to delisting. WEKO classed this as an unlawful purchasing-side price agreement and fined the 16 retailers a total of around CHF 28 million. The decision can be appealed to the Federal Administrative Court.
Buying cooperations may pool negotiating power, but payments to members must be disclosed to suppliers and must not be enforced through collective pressure.
Buying cooperations in retail: limits of joint negotiating power
- Authority / court
- Wettbewerbskommission (WEKO)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Kartellgesetz (KG): unzulässige einkaufsseitige Preisabrede
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Published
- 8 Jul 2025
Original amount 28,000,000 CHF, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 Jul 2025.
- WEKO-Medienmitteilung vom 08.07.2025: WEKO schafft Praxis zu Einkaufskooperationen Press release of an authority
- Newsroom-Schnittstelle der Bundesverwaltung: Volltext der WEKO-Medienmitteilung vom 08.07.2025 (weko_5848) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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4 Jul 2025 Alchem International Pvt. Ltd. und Alchem International (H.K.) LimitedAlchem: €489,000 fine for taking part in the SNBB pharmaceutical ingredient cartel €489,000
According to the European Commission's findings, Alchem took part from 1 November 2005 to 12 February 2018 in an EEA-wide cartel concerning the active ingredient N-butylbromide scopolamine (SNBB), involving minimum prices, quotas and exchanges of sensitive information. Unlike the other participants, who were subject to a settlement decision in October 2023, Alchem declined to settle and received a fine of 489,000 EUR without any reduction.
Suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients are also subject to the cartel prohibition; those who do not cooperate forgo reductions.
Price-fixing and quota agreements between competitors
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV; Art. 53 EWR-Abkommen
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Published
- 4 Jul 2025
- Commission fines Alchem for participating in a pharmaceutical cartel (IP/25/1721) Press release of an authority
- Presscorner-Schnittstelle, Volltext IP/25/1721 Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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2 Jul 2025 ATE, s. r. o.; AŽD Praha s.r.o.; EPLcond a.s.; MONZAS, a.s.; První SaZ Plzeň a.s.; STARMON s.r.o.Railway signalling: 157.7 million CZK against six companies for bid rigging €6.39m
The six companies colluded on cover bids, market sharing and prices in 26 contracts awarded by the state railway infrastructure administration (total value over 850 million CZK, 2015–2021). In a settlement procedure, the Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) imposed a total of 157.693 million CZK at first instance; two companies appealed against the amount.
A cover bid submitted ‘as a favour’ is bid rigging – sales and costing teams must be aware of this.
Cover bids and collusion in public tenders
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV (Submissionsabsprachen)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement (20% reduction, no procurement ban), leniency application by one participant and compliance programmes at two companies.
- Published
- 2 Jul 2025
Original amount 157,693,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 2 Jul 2025.
- Office Fines Major Cartel in Railway Construction Sector More Than CZK 150 million Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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27 Jun 2025 A.P. Møller-Mærsk A/SA.P. Møller-Mærsk: DKK 10m for failing to notify an acquisition (gun-jumping) €1.34m
The Sø- og Handelsretten (Danish Maritime and Commercial High Court) ordered A.P. Møller-Mærsk A/S to pay a civil fine of 10,000,000 DKK because the acquisition of Pilot Air Freight Holdings by its US subsidiary Damco USA in May 2022 had neither been notified in Denmark nor cleared before completion. The authority had sought at least 20 million DKK; the court found the failure grossly negligent but reduced the fine because of the self-report, full cooperation and an existing compliance programme.
Acquisitions by foreign subsidiaries also need a turnover-threshold screening for every jurisdiction before completion.
Merger control screening for transactions by foreign subsidiaries
- Authority / court
- Sø- og Handelsretten (Klage der Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Konkurrenceloven § 12 b stk. 1 og § 12 c stk. 5, 1. pkt.; Bußgeldbemessung nach § 23 b
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Transport, logistics and shipping
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Culpability
- negligent
- Mitigating circumstances
- Prompt notification to the authority once the filing obligation was discovered, full and loyal cooperation, an existing competition compliance programme that was followed; a one-off internal screening error.
- Published
- 27 Jun 2025
Original amount 10,000,000 DKK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 Jun 2025.
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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26 Jun 2025 Retta Isännöinti Oy (Retta-Gruppe), Oulun Kiinteistötieto Oy, REIM Group Oy Ltd u. a. (Verband und 11 Gesellschaften)Finnish property management cartel: Supreme Administrative Court raises fines to EUR 6.558m €6.56m
The Korkein hallinto-oikeus (Supreme Administrative Court of Finland) found that the association Suomen Isännöintiliitto ry and six property management companies or groups had unlawfully cooperated on price increases in 2014–2017, and raised the fines imposed by the Markkinaoikeus (Market Court) in December 2022 from a total of 4.93 million EUR to 6,558,000 EUR. Breakdown: Retta Isännöinti Oy, Retta Oy, Retta Group Oy and Retta Holding Oy 4,000,000 EUR; Oulun Kiinteistötieto Oy and Suomen Kiinteistöhallinta Oy 900,000 EUR; REIM Hämeenlinna Oy and REIM Group Oy Ltd 750,000 EUR; Colliers Finland Group Oy and Retta Isännöinti Oy 700,000 EUR; OP Koti Kainuu Oy 75,000 EUR; Suomen Isännöintiliitto ry 73,000 EUR; Kiinteistö-Tahkola Tampere Oy 60,000 EUR. The authority had originally sought 22 million EUR.
Trade associations must not circulate price recommendations, and competitors should never discuss their own prices in association bodies.
Price discussions and price recommendations in trade associations
- Authority / court
- Korkein hallinto-oikeus (KHO) auf Antrag des Kilpailu- ja kuluttajavirasto (KKV)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Kilpailulaki (948/2011) 5 § und 12 §
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Published
- 26 Jun 2025
- KKV: Korkein hallinto-oikeus määräsi Isännöintiliitolle ja alan yrityksille 6,56 miljoonan euron sakot (26.06.2025) Press release of an authority
- Korkein hallinto-oikeus, päätös 26.6.2025, taltionumero 1486 (ECLI:FI:KHO:2025:T1486) Court decision
- KHO 26.6.2025/1486 – Kilpailuasiaa koskevat valitukset (hintayhteistyö isännöintialalla) Court decision
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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26 Jun 2025 SIA "Mārupes komunālie pakalpojumi"Water utility Mārupes komunālie pakalpojumi abuses monopoly over additional meters €78,056
From January 2022, by internal instruction, the municipal water utility reserved to itself the installation of additional water meters (for example for garden water), thereby excluding other providers; customers also had to pay for sewerage they did not use. The Konkurences padome (Latvian Competition Council) found an abuse of a dominant position, imposed 78,055.79 EUR and ordered remedies.
Municipal utilities are also subject to competition law – internal instructions that foreclose neighbouring markets are risky.
- Authority / court
- Konkurences padome (Lettischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 13 Konkurences likums
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Published
- 9 Jul 2025
- Konkurences padome soda SIA „Mārupes komunālie pakalpojumi“ (09.07.2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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24 Jun 2025 Brantner Fatra, s.r.o.Brantner Fatra: 180,200 EUR for excessive landfill prices charged to two towns upheld €180,200
In 2019–2022, the waste management company charged the towns of Martin and Vrútky significantly higher prices for landfilling residual waste than other municipalities without objective justification, although they had no alternative. The Council of the Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, PMÚ SR) upheld the fine of 180,200 EUR; the decision became final on 3 July 2025.
Suppliers without a local alternative must be able to justify and document price differences between customers on objective grounds.
- Authority / court
- Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (PMÚ SR)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Slowakisches Wettbewerbsschutzgesetz (Missbrauch einer marktbeherrschenden Stellung)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Published
- 9 Jul 2025
- Rada PMÚ potvrdila pokutu pre spoločnosť Brantner Fatra za zneužívanie dominantného postavenia Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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24 Jun 2025 Slovenská asociácia palivového priemyslu a obchoduFirst labour market cartel: fuel association sanctioned for no-poach rule €10,000
In a ‘code of ethics’, the industry association obliged its members not to poach each other’s employees. In its first decision on labour market cartels, the Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, PMÚ SR) imposed a symbolic fine of 10,000 EUR (first instance) as a warning to business.
No-poach agreements between competitors are cartels – HR departments and associations should review existing codes.
No-poach agreements and HR departments
- Authority / court
- Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (PMÚ SR)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Slowakisches Wettbewerbsschutzgesetz (Beschluss einer Unternehmensvereinigung)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Published
- 2 Jul 2025
- KARTELY: PMÚ uložil prvú pokutu za kartelovú dohodu na trhu práce Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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17 Jun 2025 Safran S.A.Safran/Collins: clearance only in exchange for sale of actuation businesses Order
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found that Safran’s acquisition of part of the actuation and flight control business of Collins Aerospace (RTX) would result in a substantial lessening of competition in horizontal stabiliser trim actuators. Clearance was granted only in return for the undertaking to divest Safran’s North American actuation business, including sites in Mexico, California and Canada, to a pre-approved purchaser (Woodward).
In acquisitions in concentrated supply markets, prepare remedies including a buyer early – here the CMA required an upfront buyer.
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Enterprise Act 2002, s. 73 (Undertakings in lieu of reference)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 23 Jun 2025
- CMA case page: Safran / Collins merger inquiry Official register or notice
- CMA: Decision on acceptance of undertakings in lieu of reference (ME/7081/23) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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11 Jun 2025 Alten SA; Bertrandt SAS (mit Bertrandt AG); Expleo France SAS (mit Expleo Group SAS)No-poach agreements: EUR 29.5 million against Alten, Bertrandt and Expleo €29.5m
The Autorité de la concurrence (French Competition Authority) sanctioned two agreements not to poach each other’s staff: between Alten and Ausy (now Randstad Digital) for business managers from 16 November 2007 to 26 September 2016, and between Expleo and Bertrandt from 6 February to 21 September 2018. It fined Alten EUR 24 million, Bertrandt EUR 3.6 million and Expleo EUR 1.9 million; Randstad Digital received full immunity as leniency applicant. By contrast, the authority did not find non-solicitation clauses in partnership contracts or the allegations against Atos to be infringements.
Agreements between competitors not to poach each other’s employees are cartels, even as an informal gentlemen’s agreement.
No-poach agreements in human resources
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. L. 420-1 Code de commerce; Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency: full immunity from fines for Randstad Digital (formerly Ausy).
- Published
- 11 Jun 2025
- Autorité de la concurrence, Décision 25-D-03 du 11 juin 2025 (Entscheidungsseite) Decision of an authority
- Autorité de la concurrence, Décision 25-D-03 (Volltext, PDF) Decision of an authority
- Autorité de la concurrence, Communiqué de presse zu 25-D-03 Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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10 Jun 2025 Novamont S.p.A., Eni S.p.A.AGCM fines Novamont and Eni €32.1m over exclusivity ties in bioplastics €32.1m
According to the AGCM, from at least January 2018 to December 2023 Novamont tied film producers to its bioplastic Mater-Bi through exclusive or semi-exclusive purchasing obligations and tied retail chains to carrier bags made by its licensees, thereby excluding competitors in bio-compounds for lightweight and very lightweight plastic carrier bags (Art. 102 TFEU). Novamont must pay 30,359,000 EUR (capped at the 10% turnover limit); for the period after its acquisition by the Eni group on 18 October 2023, Novamont and Eni are jointly and severally liable for a further 1,701,052.08 EUR, a total of 32,060,052.08 EUR.
A compliance programme must address the specific competition risks of the business, such as exclusivity clauses used by a strong supplier, or it will not reduce the fine.
Exclusivity clauses of dominant suppliers and effective compliance programmes
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 102 AEUV; Art. 15 Legge n. 287/1990
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Mitigating circumstances
- None recognised: the compliance programme of the Eni group, which Novamont joined in October 2023, had not worked effectively because training and controls covered other topics and exclusive contracts continued to be concluded; the AGCM considered Novamont's earlier programme manifestly inadequate, partly because its competition law manual did not specifically address exclusive purchasing obligations among the forms of abuse.
- Published
- 24 Jun 2025
- AGCM, Provvedimento A573 (Adunanza 10.06.2025), Chiusura istruttoria e sanzioni Decision of an authority
- AGCM, Comunicato stampa 24.06.2025: A573 – sanzioni complessivamente pari a oltre 32 milioni di euro a Novamont e alla controllante Eni Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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5 Jun 2025 MAGEBA Gesellschaft m.b.H.; Maurer SE, Maurer Söhne Ges. mbH (nur Feststellung)Bridge component suppliers: €400,000 fine on MAGEBA, leniency applicant Maurer not fined €400,000
The Kartellgericht (Cartel Court) fined MAGEBA Gesellschaft m.b.H. 400,000 EUR because, from November 2017 to December 2018, it shared customers for road expansion joints and bridge bearings in Austria with a competitor and exchanged information on pricing behaviour. Against Maurer SE and Maurer Söhne Ges. mbH the court merely declared the infringement because of their leniency status. A compliance system introduced in the course of cooperation was taken into account in mitigation, and intent in a hardcore restriction as an aggravating factor.
The first to report a cartel can escape a fine entirely, while those who wait pay; this argues for internal reporting channels and quick decisions on a leniency application.
Customer allocation and the leniency programme
- Authority / court
- Oberlandesgericht Wien als Kartellgericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 Abs. 1 KartG; § 29 Abs. 1 Z 1 lit. a KartG; § 28 Abs. 1 und 1a Z 1 KartG (Feststellung gegenüber Kronzeugin)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Culpability
- intentional
- Repeat case
- no
- Mitigating circumstances
- Only five projects over about 13 months, no enrichment established, low-level information exchange, the group's economic difficulties, compliance system introduced in the course of cooperation.
- Published
- 18 Nov 2025
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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2 Jun 2025 Delivery Hero SE, Glovoapp23 SAEU: 329 million EUR against Delivery Hero and Glovo – first labour market cartel €329m
From July 2018 to July 2022, Delivery Hero and Glovo agreed a mutual no-poach arrangement, exchanged commercially sensitive information and allocated national markets; this was facilitated by Delivery Hero's minority stake in Glovo. Fines: Delivery Hero 223.285 million EUR, Glovo 105.732 million EUR (settlement procedure, 10 % reduction).
No-poach clauses and information flows from stakes in competitors are high-risk under competition law and must be shielded by clean-team rules.
No-poach agreements and information exchange via minority stakes
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV, Art. 53 EWR-Abkommen
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement procedure (10 % reduction)
- Kommission verhängt Geldbußen in Höhe von 329 Mio. EUR gegen Delivery Hero und Glovo (IP/25/1356) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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23 May 2025 Vifor Pharma UK Limited u. a. (CSL-Konzern)CMA: Vifor pays GBP 23m to the NHS after suspected disparagement of a rival €27.4m
The CMA had investigated whether, between 2010 and 2024, Vifor abused a suspected dominant position in high-dose intravenous iron by spreading potentially misleading claims about the safety of the rival product Monofer compared with its own Ferinject. It accepted binding commitments: a voluntary payment of GBP 23m to the NHS, a corrective communication campaign aimed at healthcare professionals and additional compliance measures; no infringement was found.
Safety claims about competing products made to healthcare professionals must be substantiated and balanced – disparagement can be pursued as an abuse of market power.
Claims about competitor products in pharmaceutical marketing
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Chapter II prohibition, section 18(1) Competition Act 1998 (Verdacht); Verpflichtungszusagen nach section 31A Competition Act 1998
- Action
- Other
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Published
- 23 May 2025
Original amount 23,000,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 May 2025.
- CMA case page: Investigation into suspected anti-competitive conduct by Vifor Pharma in relation to intravenous iron treatments Enforcement database of an authority
- CMA: Decision to accept commitments offered by Vifor in relation to the supply of high-dose intravenous iron, Case 51377 (23 May 2025) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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23 May 2025 Trust-Build Engineering & Construction Pte Ltd., Hunan Fengtian Construction Group Co., LtdCCCS: SGD 4.64m in penalties on two construction firms for bid-rigging €3.19m
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS, competition and consumer protection authority) found that Hunan Fengtian Construction Group had prepared the tender documents and prices of Trust-Build Engineering & Construction for three 2022 tenders of the People's Association (works at three community clubs, total value around SGD 56 million), so that the two did not bid independently; the People's Association noticed the possible collusion, reported it and excluded both bidders from the evaluation. Under section 34 of the Competition Act 2004, CCCS imposed financial penalties of SGD 4,295,059 on Trust-Build and SGD 349,350 on Hunan Fengtian, totalling SGD 4,644,409.
Preparing a competitor's bid or knowing its prices is bid-rigging – even if neither party ultimately wins the contract.
Bid-rigging: no coordination of bids with competitors in tenders
- Authority / court
- Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Section 34 Competition Act 2004; Geldbuße nach s 69(2)(e) Competition Act 2004
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Published
- 23 May 2025
Original amount 4,644,409 SGD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 23 May 2025.
- CCCS: CCCS Imposes A Total Of $4.6m Penalties On Contractors For Rigging Bids In Public Sector Tenders (23.05.2025) Press release of an authority
- CCS Case Register: CCCS 500-100-2023-001, Decision Date 23 May 2025 Enforcement database of an authority
- CCCS Infringement Decision, Construction Tenders, 23 May 2025 (PDF, verlinkt aus dem Case Register) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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13 May 2025 AS Asphaltstraßensanierung, BITUNOVA, Mainka u. a. (Straßenerhaltungskartell, 7 Unternehmen)Bundeskartellamt: 10.5 million EUR against seven road repair companies €10.5m
From 2016 to 2019, seven road repair companies allocated contracting authorities regionally, determined in advance who should win the contract and set each other minimum prices for cover bids. The Bundeskartellamt imposed fines of 10.5 million EUR; BITUNOVA cooperated as leniency applicant, and all proceedings ended in settlements. Addressees: AS Asphaltstraßensanierung GmbH, bausion Strassenbau-Produkte GmbH, BITUNOVA GmbH, Gerhard Herbers GmbH, Liesen … alles für den Bau GmbH, Mainka GmbH Straßenunterhaltung, MOT Müritzer Oberflächentechnik GmbH.
Cover bids are not only subject to fines but, for the employees involved, a criminal offence of bid rigging.
Cover bids and territorial agreements in tenders
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency programme (BITUNOVA), settlement
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not reported here.
- Published
- 13 May 2025
- Kartellabsprachen zwischen Straßenreparatur-Unternehmen Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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8 May 2025 „Кауфланд България ЕООД енд Ко“ КДKaufland demanded payments from suppliers for marketing and logistics – 500,000 leva €255,650
Following a preliminary investigation into rising food prices, the Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) found that Kaufland had demanded and received payments from five suppliers for ‘marketing services’ and for ‘optimisation of goods flows’ and logistics that were not fully connected with the sale of their products. For the two prohibited trading practices (Art. 37b(1)(4) ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act) it imposed 250,000 leva each, a total of 500,000 leva. An appeal has been lodged against the decision.
Charges to suppliers are only permissible if they are matched by a specific service connected with the sale.
Fair terms towards suppliers
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 37b Abs. 1 Nr. 4 ZZK (verbotene Handelspraktiken in der Lebensmittelkette, UTP-Richtlinie)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
Original amount 500,000 BGN, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 May 2025.
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 429 от 08.05.2025; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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7 May 2025 Sennheiser electronic SE & Co. KG, Sonova Consumer Hearing Sales Germany GmbHBundeskartellamt: fines against Sennheiser and Sonova over resale price maintenance Fine
Since at least 2015, Sennheiser coordinated consumer prices for premium headphones with dealers, monitored them using price comparison services and specialist software and intervened when prices were too low; Sonova continued this after acquiring the business unit in March 2022 until September 2022. The employees had received competition law training but used this knowledge to conceal their conduct (code language). In a settlement procedure, the Bundeskartellamt imposed fines on both companies; the decisions are final.
Price monitoring software is no licence: anyone who responds to deviations by putting pressure on dealers is engaging in prohibited resale price maintenance.
Price discussions with dealers and price monitoring
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB (vertikale Preisbindung)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- Extensive cooperation and settlement
- Published
- 7 May 2025
- Bundeskartellamt verhängt Bußgelder gegen Audioprodukte-Hersteller Sennheiser und Sonova Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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2 May 2025 Ατλάντα Αντιπροσωπείαι – Διανομαί Α.Ε.Greece: 127,314 EUR against breakfast cereal distributor Atlanta for resale price maintenance €127,314
From March to August 2021, the distribution partner for breakfast cereals set resale prices, which retailers and supermarket chains largely adopted. The Επιτροπή Ανταγωνισμού (Hellenic Competition Commission) accepted the settlement proposal and, by Decision 878/2025, imposed a reduced fine of 127,314 EUR; date = press release.
Even short periods of imposing prices on retailers carry fines – sales teams must know the line between recommendation and requirement.
Resale price maintenance towards retailers
- Authority / court
- Επιτροπή Ανταγωνισμού (Hellenic Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 1 Gesetz 3959/2011; Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement procedure with fine reduction
- Published
- 2 May 2025
- Δελτίο Τύπου – Πρόστιμο σε επιχείρηση η οποία διακινεί δημητριακά πρωινού κατόπιν Διαδικασίας Διευθέτησης Διαφορών Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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28 Apr 2025 Bayer S.A.Bayer pays 5 million BRL in CADE settlement over information exchange among employers €773,398
Bayer S.A. concluded a settlement (Termo de Compromisso de Cessação) with the Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE, Brazilian competition authority) in proceedings concerning the exchange of competitively sensitive information between employers in the consumer goods sector with possible effects on the Brazilian labour market. The company admitted its participation, undertook to cease the conduct and to cooperate with the investigation, and allegedly pays 5,003,188.80 BRL to the Fund for Diffuse Rights (FDD). In the same proceedings, 3M do Brasil concluded a separate settlement of allegedly 4,454,414.82 BRL. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Exchanging sensitive HR and labour market information between competing employers also carries competition law risk.
Competition law in HR: information exchange between employers
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei nº 12.529/2011 (Lei de Defesa da Concorrência), Termo de Compromisso de Cessação
- Action
- Other
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 6 May 2025
Original amount 5,003,188.8 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 28 Apr 2025.
- CADE – Cade celebra seis acordos em investigações de condutas anticompetitivas (06.05.2025) Press release of an authority
- Diário Oficial da União, 06.05.2025 – CADE Ata nº 8/2025 (Circuito Deliberativo Virtual), Processo nº 08700.007344/2024-40 (Bayer S.A.) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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24 Apr 2025 Johnson & Johnson Consumer NV; Boehringer Ingelheim SComm; Haleon Belgium NVJohnson & Johnson, Boehringer, Haleon: 11.2 million EUR for shelf-placement collusion in pharmacies €11.2m
Over more than 15 years, the three OTC medicine manufacturers jointly developed the category management project ‘SMAN’, through which they steered the placement of non-prescription medicines in selected pharmacies in their favour and disadvantaged or excluded competing products. In a settlement procedure, the Autorité belge de la Concurrence / Belgische Mededingingsautoriteit (Belgian Competition Authority, BMA) imposed a total of 11,249,280.48 EUR.
Category management agreements with retailers must not push competitors off the shelf – joint planograms with competitors are off limits.
Competition law limits of category management
- Authority / court
- Autorité belge de la Concurrence / Belgische Mededingingsautoriteit (BMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Code de droit économique Art. IV.1; AEUV Art. 101
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 24 Apr 2025
- BMA – Communiqué de presse N°16/2025 (24.04.2025) Press release of an authority
- BMA – Beslissing BMA-2025-RPR-13-AUD (SMAN), publieke versie Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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10 Apr 2025 Boehringer Ingelheim, Alkaloids of Australia, C2 PHARMA u. a. (7 Unternehmen)WEKO sanctions active-ingredient cartel over butylscopolamine bromide at around CHF 600,000 €645,231
Between 2005 and 2019 Boehringer Ingelheim, Alkaloids of Australia, Alkaloids Corporation, Alchem, C2 PHARMA, Linnea and Transo-Pharm set minimum selling prices for the active ingredient butylscopolamine bromide (SNBB), allocated quotas and exchanged sensitive business information. The Wettbewerbskommission (WEKO, Swiss Competition Commission) closed the case with amicable settlements; sanctions total around CHF 600,000, with C2 PHARMA as the self-reporting party exempted in full and Transo-Pharm and Linnea in part. It is the first cartel concerning a pharmaceutical active ingredient that WEKO has sanctioned.
Even small niche markets for intermediate products are watched by competition authorities, and the first to report can escape the sanction entirely.
Cartel risks for intermediate products and active ingredients; leniency programme
- Authority / court
- Wettbewerbskommission (WEKO)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Kartellgesetz (KG): Preis- und Mengenabrede, einvernehmliche Regelungen, Bonusregelung
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Mitigating circumstances
- Amicable settlements; full immunity for C2 PHARMA (leniency programme), partial reduction for Transo-Pharm and Linnea.
- Published
- 10 Apr 2025
Original amount 600,000 CHF, converted at the ECB reference rate of 10 Apr 2025.
- WEKO-Medienmitteilung vom 10.04.2025: WEKO sanktioniert Abrede über pharmazeutischen Wirkstoff Press release of an authority
- Newsroom-Schnittstelle der Bundesverwaltung: Volltext der WEKO-Medienmitteilung vom 10.04.2025 (onsb_de_105610) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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9 Apr 2025 Renauto Veículos e Peças Ltda., Navesa Veículos Ltda.CADE: BRL 5.36m on Renault dealers for completed, unnotified acquisition €801,579
The CADE Tribunal convicted two car dealers of gun jumping: in March 2015 Navesa had acquired tangible and intangible assets from Renauto for operating Renault dealerships in Goiânia without obtaining clearance for the notifiable transaction. Although the Tribunal had ordered notification in August 2023, the parties filed the form only in November 2024; a fine totalling 5,360,560.00 BRL, payable within 30 days, was imposed. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Notifiable acquisitions may only be completed after clearance; a notification ordered by the authority should be made without delay.
Standstill obligation for notifiable mergers
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Art. 88 § 3 Lei nº 12.529/2011; Art. 12 II a Resolução CADE nº 24/2019
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Published
- 9 Apr 2025
Original amount 5,360,560 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Apr 2025.
- Diário Oficial da União, 16.04.2025, Seção 1, S. 78: Ata da 245ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento (09.04.2025), APAC nº 08700.000974/2020-60 Official register or notice
- CADE, 09.04.2025: Cade condena empresas do setor automotivo por prática de gun jumping Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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9 Apr 2025 Conselho Federal de Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional (COFFITO)CADE: physiotherapy federal council COFFITO fined BRL 3.1m over price tables €464,087
The CADE Tribunal convicted the federal council of physiotherapists and occupational therapists because, through resolutions, rulings and annually updated reference tables, it had set binding minimum prices for the services of members of the profession and thereby encouraged uniform market conduct. In addition to a fine of 3,103,583.65 BRL, COFFITO must refrain from binding price tables, remove all references to them from its websites (penalty of 5,000.00 BRL per day) and publish the decision on its website and social media; proceedings against the regional council for the 15th region are suspended owing to a settlement. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Professional chambers and associations must not impose binding price tables on their members.
Fee and price recommendations by professional chambers
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei nº 12.529/2011; Art. 38 und 39 (Nebenanordnungen)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Healthcare
- Published
- 10 Apr 2025
Original amount 3,103,583.65 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Apr 2025.
- Diário Oficial da União, 16.04.2025, Seção 1, S. 78: Ata da 245ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento (09.04.2025), PA nº 08700.003473/2021-16 Official register or notice
- CADE, 10.04.2025: Tribunal do Cade condena Conselho de Fisioterapia por tabelamento de preços em serviços profissionais Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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9 Apr 2025 Alphabet Inc. (Google)Bundeskartellamt: Google commitments on Automotive Services and Google Maps Platform Order
In two decisions under Section 19a of the German Competition Act (GWB), the Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office) declared commitments by Google binding: the services in Google Automotive Services (Maps, Play, Assistant) will in future also be licensed to car manufacturers individually, incentive clauses such as advertising revenue sharing and default settings will be dropped, and interoperability with other providers will be ensured. For the Google Maps Platform, contractual restrictions on combining it with other providers' map services are lifted; the commitments on Automotive Services apply to cars registered in Germany and, owing to uniform EU registration rules, to the European market, while those on the Maps Platform apply at least to licensees with a billing address in the EEA.
Tying and exclusivity incentives in platform services are under scrutiny under Section 19a GWB; individually licensable, interoperable offerings reduce the risk.
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- § 19a GWB (für bindend erklärte Verpflichtungszusagen; Az. B7-25/22)
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 9 Apr 2025
- Bundeskartellamt: Google muss Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen bei Google Automotive Services und bei der Google Maps Platform abstellen (09.04.2025) Press release of an authority
- Bundeskartellamt: Verfahren gegen große Digitalkonzerne auf der Basis von § 19a GWB (Stand September 2026) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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8 Apr 2025 Securitas Sicherheitsdienstleistungen GmbH, Securitas ABSecuritas: €540,000 fine for collusion in tenders for security services €540,000
The Kartellgericht (Cartel Court) imposed a fine of 540,000 EUR, jointly and severally, on Securitas Sicherheitsdienstleistungen GmbH and Securitas AB. From August 2019 to December 2022, an employee coordinated prices and strategic information with a competitor in three private tenders for manned security services. The Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde (BWB, Federal Competition Authority) granted a reduction for the consensual termination of the proceedings.
Even a few coordinated bids in private tenders are enough for a fine; sales teams need clear rules on contacts with competitors.
Information exchange with competitors in tenders
- Authority / court
- Oberlandesgericht Wien als Kartellgericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 Abs. 1 KartG; § 29 Z 1 lit. a KartG
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Defence and security
- Employees
- 1,000 to 9,999
- Culpability
- intentional
- Repeat case
- no
- Mitigating circumstances
- Reduction for the consensual termination of the proceedings.
- Published
- 12 Feb 2026
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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8 Apr 2025 Pailpac (Pty) LtdAlleged abuse of dominance: Pailpac allegedly pays ZAR 5m and ends exclusive contracts €236,068
On 8 April 2025 the Competition Tribunal (South Africa's competition adjudicator) confirmed a settlement with Pailpac (Pty) Ltd, a maker of injection-moulded plastic pails for the paints and coatings industry. The Competition Commission (competition authority) alleged that, as the dominant supplier of containers for water-based coatings, the company had tied major customers through exclusive or near-exclusive supply agreements and used below-cost pricing; Pailpac disputes this. It nevertheless allegedly pays an administrative penalty of 5,000,000 ZAR, releases customers from exclusivity and automatic renewal clauses, will buy packaging waste from small businesses and informal waste collectors for five years and will introduce a compliance programme.
Suppliers with strong market positions should have exclusivity and automatic renewal clauses checked under competition law before tying major customers to them.
Exclusive contracts and below-cost pricing by dominant firms
- Authority / court
- Competition Tribunal of South Africa (auf Antrag der Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Section 8(1)(d)(i) und 8(1)(c) Competition Act 89 of 1998 (Vorwurf der Competition Commission, ohne Anerkenntnis)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Published
- 9 Apr 2025
Original amount 5,000,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 8 Apr 2025.
- Competition Tribunal: Tribunal confirms Pailpac consent agreement: R5 million administrative penalty and an end to exclusive supply arrangements (09.04.2025) Court press release
- Competition Tribunal case file CR055Jun24/SA142Dec24 (Outcome: Confirmed, Order date 2025-04-08) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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1 Apr 2025 BMW, Ford, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Opel/GM, Renault/Nissan, Stellantis, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo, ACEA (Mercedes-Benz Kronzeuge)EU: 458 million EUR against carmakers and ACEA over end-of-life vehicle recycling cartel €457.9m
The Commission imposed fines of around 458 million EUR on 15 carmakers and the association ACEA. From 2002 to 2017, they had agreed not to pay dismantlers for recycling end-of-life vehicles and not to advertise recycling rates or recycled content; ACEA organised the meetings. Mercedes-Benz received full immunity as leniency applicant, and all parties reached a settlement (10 % reduction).
Agreements on purchasing terms or on refraining from advertising claims are also cartels – association meetings require antitrust supervision.
Agreements in association bodies; refraining from purchasing or advertising can also be a cartel
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV, Art. 53 EWR-Abkommen
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency programme (Mercedes-Benz 100 %, Stellantis/Opel 50 %, Mitsubishi 30 %, Ford 20 %), 10 % settlement reduction, lesser involvement of Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki
- Commission fines car manufacturers and association €458 million over end-of-life vehicles recycling cartel (IP/25/881) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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1 Apr 2025 Ford, Volkswagen, BMW u. a. (10 Fahrzeughersteller sowie die Verbände ACEA und SMMT)CMA: GBP 77.7m fine for carmakers over recycling and advertising collusion €92.9m
The CMA found two cartel infringements: from 2002 to 2017 the manufacturers had agreed not to advertise recyclability rates above the statutory minimum of 85%, and from 2004 to 2018 eight of them, later joined by others, had operated a buyers' cartel agreeing not to pay companies that recycle end-of-life vehicles. Under settlement, fines totalling GBP 77,688,917 were imposed: Ford 18,541,929, Volkswagen 14,755,900, BMW 11,060,925, Nissan/Renault 9,979,826 jointly plus 2,800,646 for Nissan alone, Peugeot Citroën/Stellantis 5,189,948, Vauxhall/Opel (with General Motors and Stellantis as former and current owners) 5,171,248 in total, Jaguar Land Rover 4,626,404, Toyota 4,502,760, Mitsubishi 898,531, ACEA 114,000 and SMMT 46,800 GBP. Mercedes-Benz had reported the cartel and received full immunity; the European Commission adopted its own decision for the EU on the same day.
Agreements on green advertising or purchasing terms reached in trade association meetings are still cartels – sustainability goals do not justify coordination between competitors.
Sustainability agreements and buyers' cartels in trade association meetings
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Chapter I prohibition, section 2(1) Competition Act 1998
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Automotive
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Mitigating circumstances
- 20% settlement discount for all addressees; additional leniency reductions for Peugeot Citroën and Vauxhall/Opel together with their current and former owners Stellantis and General Motors (45%), the SMMT (35%) and Mitsubishi (25%); full immunity for Mercedes-Benz as the first to report.
- Published
- 1 Apr 2025
Original amount 77,688,917 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 1 Apr 2025.
- CMA case page: Anti-competitive conduct in relation to vehicle recycling and advertising of recycling-related information Enforcement database of an authority
- CMA press release: Car industry settles competition law case (1 April 2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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31 Mar 2025 Apple Distribution International Limited; Apple Operations International Limited; Apple Inc.Apple: EUR 150 million for abuse in App Tracking Transparency (ATT) €150m
From 26 April 2021 to 25 July 2023, Apple abused its dominant position in the distribution of apps on iOS and iPadOS devices by designing the App Tracking Transparency consent prompt for the use of data for advertising purposes in a discriminatory, non-objective and non-transparent way. In the view of the Autorité de la concurrence (French Competition Authority), the mechanism was neither necessary nor proportionate for protecting privacy: it multiplied the consent windows in third-party apps and disadvantaged small, advertising-funded providers in particular. In addition to the fine of EUR 150 million, Apple must publish a summary of the decision.
Privacy features of a dominant platform must be designed neutrally for its own and third-party offerings; otherwise they become open to challenge under competition law.
Interface between data protection consent and competition law on platforms
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. L. 420-2 Code de commerce; Art. 102 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 31 Mar 2025
- Autorité de la concurrence, Décision 25-D-02 du 31 mars 2025 (Entscheidungsseite) Decision of an authority
- Autorité de la concurrence, Décision 25-D-02 (Volltext, PDF) Decision of an authority
- Autorité de la concurrence, Communiqué de presse zu 25-D-02 Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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31 Mar 2025 Attendo Suomi OyAttendo: EUR 1.5m after chats were deleted during a competition inspection €1.5m
The Markkinaoikeus (Market Court, Finland) imposed a penalty payment of 1,500,000 EUR on the care services provider Attendo Suomi Oy for obstructing an unannounced inspection by the competition authority in January 2023: after the inspection had begun, a manager deleted chat histories and the call log on a mobile phone also used for work. It was the first penalty for such a procedural infringement in Finland; the authority had sought 4,373,760 EUR, but the court gave considerably more weight to Attendo's own measures, including the swift restoration of the deleted chats.
Once an inspection starts, an immediate ban on deleting or altering data applies to all work devices and messaging apps – every manager must know this.
Conduct during unannounced inspections (dawn raids)
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Markkinaoikeus (Marktgericht) auf Antrag des Kilpailu- ja kuluttajavirasto (KKV)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Kilpailulaki (948/2011) 37 a § 1 mom. 1 kohta i. V. m. 35 § und 37 §
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Healthcare
- Mitigating circumstances
- Training and instructions for staff on conduct during inspections already before the incident; swift restoration and handover of the deleted chats from a backup; no advantage gained and no earlier penalties for procedural infringements.
- Published
- 31 Mar 2025
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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21 Mar 2025 BT, IMG, ITV, BBC (Sky Kronzeuge)CMA: 4.24 million GBP against BT, IMG, ITV and BBC over collusion on freelancer fees €5.06m
Sports broadcasters and production companies exchanged sensitive information in 15 instances about day rates and fee increases for freelance camera operators and sound technicians in order to coordinate pay. Fines: BT 1,738,453 GBP, IMG 1,737,820 GBP, BBC 424,165 GBP, ITV 339,918 GBP; Sky received immunity as the first to come forward.
HR and the procurement of freelance work are also subject to competition law – salary and fee information must not be shared with competitors.
Exchanges about salaries and fees with competitors (labour market)
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Chapter I Competition Act 1998
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Mitigating circumstances
- 20 % settlement discount for all; leniency discounts for BT, IMG, ITV; immunity for Sky
- Published
- 21 Mar 2025
Original amount 4,240,356 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Mar 2025.
- Sports broadcast and production companies fined £4 million in freelancer pay investigation Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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19 Mar 2025 Sennheiser electronic SE & Co KG, Sonova AGSennheiser and Sonova: €634,000 for resale price maintenance on consumer audio products €634,000
The Kartellgericht (Cartel Court) imposed fines totalling 634,000 EUR for vertical resale price maintenance on Sennheiser-brand consumer electronics audio products (headphones): 534,000 EUR on Sennheiser electronic SE & Co KG for May 2015 to February 2022 and 100,000 EUR on Sonova AG for March to September 2022. Retailers were given end-customer prices whose observance was monitored; both companies cooperated and did not contest the facts.
Non-binding recommended prices become prohibited resale price maintenance as soon as manufacturers monitor retail prices and object to deviations.
Resale price maintenance in online retail
- Authority / court
- Oberlandesgericht Wien als Kartellgericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV und § 1 Abs. 1 KartG; § 29 Z 1 lit. a und d KartG
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Culpability
- intentional
- Repeat case
- no
- Mitigating circumstances
- Full cooperation in clarifying the facts; all essential facts left undisputed (acknowledgement).
- Published
- 16 Dec 2025
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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12 Mar 2025 SK Telecom Co., Ltd., KT Co., Ltd., LG Uplus Co., Ltd.Mobile cartel: SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus jointly steered switching figures €72.1m
According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), the three mobile network operators agreed in November 2015 to balance net gains and losses of new subscribers porting their numbers so that they would not concentrate on one operator, and implemented this until the end of September 2022 by coordinating their sales incentives for dealers with one another; they exchanged the information in a joint market monitoring group with the industry association KAIT. The KFTC issued cease-and-desist orders and provisionally set fines totalling KRW 114,026 million (SK Telecom KRW 42,662 million, KT KRW 33,029 million, LG Uplus KRW 38,334 million).
Self-regulatory bodies must not become a forum in which competitors coordinate customer gains and terms.
Cartel risks in industry bodies and self-regulation
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 40 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 MRFTA (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Published
- 12 Mar 2025
Original amount 114,026,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 12 Mar 2025.
- KFTC press release (EN), 13 Mar 2025: KFTC Sanctions Three Telecommunication Companies for Collusion in Mobile Number Portability New Subscriber Adjustments Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 12.03.2025: 이동통신 3사의 담합행위 제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF) mit Bußgeldtabelle je Unternehmen und Rechtsgrundlage Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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5 Mar 2025 OTTO FUCHS Beteiligungen KGDüsseldorf Higher Regional Court: 30 million EUR on OTTO FUCHS for information exchange among forges €30m
The Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf (Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf) fined OTTO FUCHS Beteiligungen KG 30 million EUR because two of its authorised officers had, twice a year from October 2010 to November 2015, exchanged information on cost and price components with other aluminium forges in the 'Aluminium Forging Group', for example on customers' discount demands and increased storage costs. The amount covers only the fine imposed on the company.
Regular industry meetings on costs and discounts are risky even without price fixing, and management is personally liable if supervision is inadequate.
Information exchange in industry groups and management's duty of supervision
- Authority / court
- Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf, 6. Kartellsenat (Kartellbußgeldverfahren)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Kartellordnungswidrigkeit (Informationsaustausch) und Verletzung der Aufsichtspflicht; Az. V-6 Kart 2/21 OWi
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Steel and metals
- Mitigating circumstances
- The exchange was often vague and concerned price components with a small share of costs, so the potential for profit and damage was low; negotiating pressure between aluminium suppliers and the automotive industry. Turnover related to the offence of more than 1 billion EUR and group turnover of around 3.4 billion EUR a year counted against the company.
- Published
- 5 Mar 2025
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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4 Mar 2025 Vermont Sales (Pty) LtdCompetition Tribunal: allegedly ZAR 900,000 against Vermont Sales over discount cap for dealers €46,020
The importer and wholesaler of power tools allegedly prohibited dealers without their own stock from advertising Festool products below the recommended list price and allowed a maximum discount of 15% (minimum resale price maintenance). In a settlement without admission of liability, Vermont allegedly pays ZAR 900,000 in three instalments and introduces a compliance programme with annually updated training.
Rules on advertised price levels or maximum discount rates imposed on dealers can also amount to prohibited resale price maintenance.
Discount rules and advertising restrictions for dealers
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Competition Tribunal of South Africa (auf Antrag der Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Competition Act 89 of 1998, s. 5(2); ss. 49D, 58(1)(a)(iii), 58(1)(b), 59
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- Vermont approached the Commission on its own initiative to settle the matter amicably; training had already started.
- Published
- 4 Mar 2025
Original amount 900,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 4 Mar 2025.
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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24 Feb 2025 Jura Poland sp. z o.o., Terg S.A., Euro-net sp. z o.o. u. a. (5 Unternehmen)Jura Poland and electronics retailers: PLN 66.1m for resale price maintenance on coffee machines €15.9m
Jura Poland had fixed the resale prices of Jura-brand coffee machines and accessories with electronics retailers. UOKiK imposed fines on Terg (PLN 30,065,250), Jura Poland (PLN 12,212,000), Euro-net (PLN 10,500,450), Media Saturn Online (PLN 6,772,000) and Media Saturn Holding Polska (PLN 6,549,000), totalling PLN 66,098,700. The decision is not final.
Retailers are liable too if they go along with a manufacturer's fixed resale prices.
Resale price maintenance between manufacturer and retailers
- Authority / court
- Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów (UOKiK)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 6 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 ustawa o ochronie konkurencji i konsumentów; Art. 101 Abs. 1 lit. a AEUV; Art. 106 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und 2 ustawa o ochronie konkurencji i konsumentów
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not reported here.
Original amount 66,098,700 PLN, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Feb 2025.
- UOKiK-Entscheidungsdatenbank: Decyzja DOK-1/2025 (Jura Poland u. a.) Enforcement database of an authority
- Decyzja nr DOK-1/2025 vom 24.02.2025 (öffentliche Fassung) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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21 Feb 2025 Royal Bank of Canada, Morgan Stanley, HSBC u. a. (5 Banken; Deutsche Bank als Kronzeugin bußgeldfrei)CMA: GBP 104.46m fine for four banks over information exchange on gilts €126.2m
The CMA issued five separate decisions finding that, between 2009 and 2013, pairs of banks had exchanged competitively sensitive information on trading UK government bonds (gilts and gilt asset swaps), and in part on Debt Management Office auctions and Bank of England buy-back auctions, in bilateral Bloomberg chats between individual traders. Under settlement, Royal Bank of Canada pays 34,200,000, Morgan Stanley 29,700,000, HSBC 23,400,000 and Citi 17,160,000 GBP, GBP 104,460,000 in total; Deutsche Bank, which had reported the exchanges, was not fined.
Chats between traders at different firms are a cartel risk: even occasional exchanges of pricing and auction information can amount to a restriction of competition by object.
Information exchange between competitors in trader chats
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Chapter I prohibition, section 2(1) Competition Act 1998
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Financial services and insurance
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Mitigating circumstances
- Citi: 35% leniency discount and 20% settlement discount; HSBC, Morgan Stanley and RBC: 10% settlement discount. The CMA also took into account the time elapsed since the infringements ended and the banks' extensive compliance measures, some of which pre-dated the investigation.
- Published
- 21 Feb 2025
Original amount 104,460,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Feb 2025.
- CMA case page: Anti-competitive arrangements in UK government bonds Enforcement database of an authority
- CMA press release: CMA reaches settlement with banks in competition case (21 February 2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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19 Feb 2025 Inetum (drei Gesellschaften der Unternehmensgruppe)Portugal: 3.09 million EUR against Inetum for no-poach agreements, upheld by court €3.09m
From 2014 to 2021, the IT consultancy group participated in bilateral agreements not to poach competitors’ employees. The Autoridade da Concorrência (Portuguese Competition Authority, AdC) imposed 3,092,000 EUR on three companies; in March 2026, the Competition, Regulation and Supervision Court (TCRS) upheld the fine in full – the first judicial confirmation of a labour market cartel fine in Portugal.
Agreements not to poach each other’s skilled staff are cartels – HR and managers must be aware of this.
Prohibition of no-poach agreements between competitors
- Authority / court
- Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei da Concorrência (Lei n.º 19/2012), Art. 9.º
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Published
- 19 Feb 2025
- AdC condena Grupo Inetum por práticas anticoncorrenciais no mercado laboral Press release of an authority
- Tribunal confirma coima da AdC à Inetum por práticas anticoncorrenciais no mercado de trabalho Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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17 Feb 2025 DH Brothers Industries (Pty) Ltd t/a WillowtonCompetition Tribunal: Willowton allegedly pays ZAR 1m and commits ZAR 100m to public-interest measures €51,783
In 2016 the Competition Commission investigated several edible oil producers over alleged price fixing and market division; the Willowton Group challenged the investigation in court for years and no findings were made. Under the confirmed settlement, Willowton allegedly pays ZAR 1m without admitting liability and commits to public-interest measures of ZAR 100m over five years (20m education trust, 30m food donations, 50m procurement from B-BBEE companies) as well as a compliance programme.
Even without an established infringement, competition proceedings can end with substantial payment and public-interest commitments; an effective compliance programme is better protection than years of litigation.
Handling competition investigations and settlement options
- Authority / court
- Competition Tribunal of South Africa (auf Antrag der Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Competition Act 89 of 1998, s. 4(1)(b)(i) und (ii); ss. 49D, 58(1)(b)
- Action
- Other
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Mitigating circumstances
- No admission of liability and no findings by the Commission; pragmatic settlement after lengthy litigation.
- Published
- 17 Feb 2025
Original amount 1,000,000 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Feb 2025.
- Competition Tribunal, CO155Jan25: Order confirming consent agreement, Competition Commission v DH Brothers Industries (Pty) Ltd t/a Willowton (17.02.2025) Court decision
- Competition Tribunal greenlights R101m settlement with Willowton Group over price fixing and market division allegations (17.02.2025) Court press release
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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12 Feb 2025 Synot W, a.s.; ein UnternehmerGambling takeover without notification: 428,500 EUR for gun-jumping €428,500
In 2020, Synot and a sole trader jointly acquired control of the gambling operator SLOV-MATIC, transferred shares and replaced corporate bodies before notifying the concentration. Under a settlement, the Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, PMÚ SR) imposed 400,000 EUR on Synot and 28,500 EUR on the entrepreneur; final since 7 March 2025.
Before closing, neither replace corporate bodies nor steer finances – M&A teams need a gun-jumping checklist.
- Authority / court
- Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (PMÚ SR)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Slowakisches Wettbewerbsschutzgesetz (Anmeldepflicht und Vollzugsverbot)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Other
- Mitigating circumstances
- Voluntary subsequent notification, admission and settlement (50% reduction).
- Published
- 10 Mar 2025
- KONCENTRÁCIE: PMÚ uložil pokutu viac ako 428-tisíc eur za „gun-jumping“ v oblasti hazardu Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 27 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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28 Jan 2025 OGH raises gun-jumping fine against food retailer from 1.5 to 70 million EUR €70m
A food retail group anonymised in the decision (R*) had, through its subsidiary, implemented a notifiable concentration without merger control clearance by means of a long-term lease of store space in a shopping centre (1 July 2018 to 20 September 2022). The Cartel Court (Kartellgericht) imposed a fine of 1.5 million EUR; Austria's Supreme Court (Oberster Gerichtshof, OGH) upheld the appeals of the Federal Competition Authority (Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde, BWB) and the Federal Cartel Prosecutor (Bundeskartellanwalt) and set the fine at 70 million EUR, taking into account the group turnover of 92.3 billion EUR and an earlier fine for prohibited implementation.
Taking over stores by way of a lease or tenancy agreement can also be a notifiable concentration – expansion departments must check merger control requirements.
Notification requirement for site takeovers through leases or tenancy agreements
- Authority / court
- Oberster Gerichtshof als Kartellobergericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- § 29 Z 1 lit a iVm § 17 Abs 1 KartG 2005
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Repeat case
- yes
- OGH 16 Ok 5/24g vom 28.01.2025 Court decision
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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27 Jan 2025 ECIT Account A/SECIT Account: DKK 20m as facilitator of a nightclub cartel €2.68m
The Sø- og Handelsretten (Danish Maritime and Commercial High Court) imposed a civil fine of 20,000,000 DKK on the accounting and IT service provider ECIT Account A/S. From 2004 to 2020 the company acted as cartel facilitator, formalising and maintaining an agreement among several nightclubs not to open branches in each other's towns or within a set radius, among other things through the chair of their joint purchasing company. It was the first civil competition fine imposed by a court since the 2021 legislative amendment; the Konkurrencerådet (Danish Competition Council) had sought at least 30 million DKK. The decision is not final.
Advisers and service providers that are not active on the market themselves are still liable if they organise or enforce agreements among their clients.
Liability of advisers and service providers as cartel facilitators
- Authority / court
- Sø- og Handelsretten (auf Bußgeldantrag des Konkurrencerådet)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Konkurrenceloven § 6 stk. 1, jf. stk. 2 nr. 3, jf. stk. 3; § 23 stk. 1 nr. 1; § 23 b
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Other
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- No proven economic benefit from facilitating the agreement; the company did not initiate the cartel.
- Published
- 27 Jan 2025
Original amount 20,000,000 DKK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 27 Jan 2025.
- Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen: Bøde på 20 millioner kroner til rådgivningsvirksomhed for medansvar for diskotekskartel (27.01.2025) Press release of an authority
- Sø- og Handelsretten, dom 27.01.2025, BS-61706/2023-SHR, ECIT Account A/S mod Konkurrencerådet Court decision
- Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen, Afgørelser: ECIT Account A/S mod Konkurrencerådet (Afgørelse 27.01.2025, Status: Anket) Enforcement database of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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20 Jan 2025 Hong Kong Commercial Cleaning Services Limited, Man Shun Hong Kong & Kln Cleaning Company LimitedCleaning cartel in public housing tenders: company penalties of 22.26 million HKD €2.77m
In January 2025 the Competition Tribunal (Hong Kong's specialist competition court) imposed allegedly agreed penalties on two cleaning companies that, from at least May 2016 to August 2018, exchanged confidential bid information in 17 tenders of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (the public housing authority) for cleaning services at public housing estates (contract value around 180 million HKD) – price fixing under the First Conduct Rule (the ban on anti-competitive agreements); the case came to light through a complaint from a group that included cleaners at a housing estate. Hong Kong Commercial Cleaning Services Limited received 10,960,000 HKD, and Man Shun Hong Kong & Kln Cleaning Company Limited received 11,300,000 HKD on 20 January 2025. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Where competitors share offices, servers or staff, strict information barriers are needed – otherwise the exchange of bid data becomes a cartel.
Information exchange between competitors in public tenders
- Authority / court
- Competition Tribunal (Hongkong), auf Antrag der Competition Commission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Competition Ordinance (Cap. 619), s. 6 (First Conduct Rule), s. 91 (Beteiligung), s. 93(1) (pecuniary penalty), ss. 101–102 (Disqualifikation)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Other
- Mitigating circumstances
- Cooperation discount of 9% for Hong Kong Commercial Cleaning (admission only after the trial dates had been fixed, less than five months before trial); for Man Shun a cooperation discount of 15% (admission before any witness statements were filed) and a further 20% reduction because the full penalty would have undermined its viability; payment in four and eight quarterly instalments respectively.
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not set out here.
- Published
- 20 Jan 2025
Original amount 22,260,000 HKD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 Jan 2025.
- Competition Tribunal: Competition Commission v. Hong Kong Commercial Cleaning Services Ltd and Others, CTEA 2/2021, [2025] HKCT 1, Reasons for Judgment 14.02.2025 Court decision
- Competition Commission: Competition Commission welcomes Tribunal's orders in cleansing service cartel case (20.01.2025) Press release of an authority
- Competition Commission: Hong Kong Commercial Cleaning Services admits liability and agrees to over HK$10 million penalty (09.12.2024) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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7 Jan 2025 XCL Resources Holdings LLC, Verdun Oil Company II LLC, EP Energy LLCFTC: record penalty of 5.6 million USD for gun-jumping in oil producer acquisition €5.39m
During the HSR waiting period for the 1.4 billion USD acquisition of EP Energy, XCL and Verdun already took control of day-to-day operations: they halted drilling projects, managed customer contracts in Utah and coordinated prices in Texas (94 days). In a settlement filed by the DOJ on behalf of the FTC, the companies agreed to a civil penalty of 5.6 million USD – the highest ever for gun-jumping in the US; court approval under the Tunney Act was still pending at the time of publication.
Until clearance, the buyer must not exert any influence on the target company's operations – integration teams need clear gun-jumping rules.
Standstill obligation before clearance (gun-jumping) in integration planning
- Authority / court
- Federal Trade Commission (Klage durch das U.S. Department of Justice)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Hart-Scott-Rodino Act
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Published
- 7 Jan 2025
Original amount 5,600,000 USD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 7 Jan 2025.
- Oil Companies to Pay Record FTC Gun-Jumping Fine for Antitrust Law Violation Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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23 Dec 2024 Hrvatski lovački savezCroatia: 89,935 EUR against hunting association for predatory pricing in hunter training €89,935
From 2022 to March 2024, the Croatian Hunting Association offered hunter training below cost and financed this from areas in which it holds a statutory monopoly in order to drive out competitors. The Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (Croatian Competition Agency, AZTN) imposed 89,935.20 EUR and ordered separate cost accounting; the High Administrative Court dismissed the action on 17 December 2025.
An organisation holding a monopoly in one market must not use the profits from it to undercut in neighbouring markets – separate cost accounting provides evidence.
- Authority / court
- Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (AZTN)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 13 Nr. 1 Zakon o zaštiti tržišnog natjecanja (ZZTN)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Other
- Published
- 10 Feb 2025
- AZTN zbog zlouporabe vladajućeg položaja predatorskim cijenama kaznio Hrvatski lovački savez Press release of an authority
- Visoki upravni sud Republike Hrvatske odbio tužbu Hrvatskog lovačkog saveza i potvrdio rješenje AZTN-a Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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20 Dec 2024 Tarkus Interiors Pte Ltd; Flex Connect Pte Ltd (vormals Facility Link Pte Ltd)CCCS: 9,999,181 SGD against two interior fit-out firms for bid rigging €7.09m
From August 2016 to August 2021, Flex Connect (formerly Facility Link) and Tarkus Interiors colluded on twelve tenders for interior fit-out works in shops, food and beverage outlets and offices worth around 34.11 million SGD in total: the designated winner gave the other firm its prices and details so that it would submit a higher cover bid. On 20 December 2024 the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) imposed penalties of 5,113,918 SGD on Tarkus and 4,885,263 SGD on Flex Connect, totalling 9,999,181 SGD (the CCCS itself states the total as 9,999,182 SGD); Flex Connect received a leniency discount.
Cover bids remain prohibited collusion even if bidders fear being passed over in future tenders otherwise.
Recognising and refusing bid rigging and cover bids
- Authority / court
- Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Competition Act 2004, s 34
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency discount for Flex Connect.
- Published
- 20 Dec 2024
Original amount 9,999,181 SGD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 20 Dec 2024.
- CCCS: CCCS Penalises Contractors Specialising in Non-Residential Interior Fit-Out Tenders for Bid-Rigging (20.12.2024) Press release of an authority
- CCCS Public Register: CCCS 500-100-2021-001 (Decision Date 20.12.2024) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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19 Dec 2024 Groupe SEB, Darty, Boulanger u. a. (12 Unternehmen)Household appliances: EUR 611 million for resale price maintenance (SEB, Darty, Boulanger et al.) €611m
The Autorité de la concurrence (French Competition Authority) sanctioned ten manufacturers of large and small appliances and the retailers Darty and Boulanger because, in twelve vertical agreements running between February 2007 and December 2014, each of them had fixed retail prices with its trading partners. Fines: SEB 189.5 million, Darty 109 million, Boulanger 84.35 million, BSH 54 million, Electrolux 44.5 million, Whirlpool 44.5 million and, as successor to Indesit, 27.75 million, Candy Hoover 22.75 million, LG 15.5 million, Miele 14.25 million, Smeg 4.8 million and Eberhardt 0.1 million EUR. The authority dropped the allegation of a data exchange via the trade association GIFAM.
Recommended prices become prohibited resale price maintenance as soon as manufacturers and retailers jointly monitor and enforce compliance with them.
Resale price maintenance and recommended prices in distribution
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. L. 420-1 Code de commerce; Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- Ten companies used the settlement procedure and did not contest the objections; BSH received a reduction as leniency applicant. Only SEB and Boulanger contested the allegations.
- Published
- 19 Dec 2024
- Autorité de la concurrence, Liste des décisions et avis (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Enforcement database of an authority
Checked against the official source on 7 Oct 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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19 Dec 2024 Autobutler ApSAutobutler: DKK 7m settlement over fixed prices agreed with hundreds of garages €938,174
The car repair booking platform Autobutler ApS is paying a fine of 7,000,000 DKK under a court settlement before the Sø- og Handelsretten (Danish Maritime and Commercial High Court). In June 2023 the Konkurrencerådet (Danish Competition Council) had found that from at least March 2016 to October 2021 Autobutler agreed fixed prices for specific services in specific periods with several hundred garages; Autobutler had challenged that decision in court.
Platforms that set or coordinate prices for their providers can themselves be party to a prohibited price-fixing agreement.
Price-setting by platforms towards their providers
- Authority / court
- Sø- og Handelsretten (gerichtlicher Vergleich mit dem Konkurrencerådet)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Konkurrenceloven § 6 stk. 1, jf. stk. 2 nr. 1 og stk. 3; Art. 101 AEUV; Bußgeld nach § 23 b
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Mitigating circumstances
- Cooperation in bringing the case to a close.
- Published
- 20 Dec 2024
Original amount 7,000,000 DKK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 19 Dec 2024.
- Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen: Autobutler betaler bøde på 7 millioner kroner (20.12.2024) Press release of an authority
- Sø- og Handelsretten, retsbog 19.12.2024, BS-41829/2023-SHR (indenretligt forlig) Court decision
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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18 Dec 2024 Ericsson Nikola Tesla d.d., Kodeks d.o.o., Retel d.o.o., Vatel d.o.o., LUMISS d.o.o., Mitel Austria GmbHCroatia: 1.17 million EUR against Ericsson Nikola Tesla and five partners for customer allocation €1.17m
From 2010 to 2015, the suppliers of Ericsson/Aastra/Mitel telephone systems (PBX) allocated customers among themselves so as not to undercut each other. The Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (Croatian Competition Agency, AZTN) imposed a total of 1,170,968.24 EUR, of which 785,570.58 EUR on Ericsson Nikola Tesla; one leniency applicant (Steiner) was not penalised, and Kodeks received a reduction.
Dealers of the same brand are also competitors – agreements on ‘own’ customers are a hardcore cartel.
No agreements on customer or territorial allocation
- Authority / court
- Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (AZTN)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 8 Zakon o zaštiti tržišnog natjecanja (ZZTN)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency programme for two participants
- Published
- 5 Mar 2025
- AZTN utvrdio zabranjeni sporazum šest poduzetnika na tržištu kućnih telefonskih centrala i sustava (PBX) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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18 Dec 2024 MaxBuild LimitedMaxBuild: 500,000 NZD in New Zealand's first criminal cartel case €273,179
The construction company coordinated its bids with a competitor in tenders run by the NZ Transport Agency (national transport authority; Northern Corridor Improvement Project) and Auckland Transport (refurbishment of the Middlemore Bridge). After guilty pleas to four charges of price fixing, the High Court in Auckland imposed a fine of 500,000 NZD on 18 December 2024 in the country's first criminal cartel prosecution; without the mitigating factors, around 1 million NZD would have been appropriate according to the court.
Cover bids in favour of a competitor have been a criminal offence in New Zealand since 2021 – tender teams must never coordinate prices with competitors.
Bid rigging and cover pricing in public tenders
- Authority / court
- High Court Auckland (Anklage: Commerce Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Commerce Act 1986, s 30 (Kartellverbot, seit 8. April 2021 strafbewehrt)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Guilty pleas; the court took account of several mitigating factors, without which around 1 million NZD would have been appropriate.
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not set out here.
- Published
- 18 Dec 2024
Original amount 500,000 NZD, converted at the ECB reference rate of 18 Dec 2024.
- Commerce Commission: “Cheating the system” – sentencing in country’s first criminal cartel case (18.12.2024) Press release of an authority
- Commerce Commission: Cheating the system: Bid-rigging of roading contracts sees firm fined (23.10.2025) Press release of an authority
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17 Dec 2024 Kakao Mobility Inc.Kakao Mobility blocked drivers of rival taxi services: KRW 15.1bn fine €10m
According to the KFTC (Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea's competition authority), Kakao Mobility, dominant in app-based general taxi hailing with a 96% share (2022), required four competing franchise taxi operators (UT, TADA, Banban, Macaron Taxi) to sign partnership agreements granting real-time access to business-sensitive data and otherwise excluded their drivers from general hailing via Kakao T. Following its plenary deliberation on 25 September 2024, the KFTC ordered remedies and announced a provisional fine of KRW 72.4 billion; after the Securities and Futures Commission had determined that revenue must be recognised on a net basis, it announced on 17 December 2024 that the fine had been finally set at KRW 15.1 billion.
A dominant platform must not make access to its core service conditional on competitors handing over sensitive business data.
Self-preferencing and exclusion of competitors by platforms
- Authority / court
- Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 und Art. 45 Abs. 1 Nr. 6 MRFTA (Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Transport, logistics and shipping
- Published
- 17 Dec 2024
Original amount 15,100,000,000 KRW, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Dec 2024.
- KFTC press release (EN), 2 Oct 2024: KFTC Sanctions Kakao Mobility for Abuse of Market Dominance (Scan) Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO), 02.10.2024: 카카오모빌리티의 시장지배적지위 남용행위 제재 Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressemitteilung (KO, PDF), 02.10.2024: Rechtsgrundlagen (공정거래법 제5조 제1항 제3호, 제45조 제1항 제6호) und Marktanteil Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressehinweis (KO), 17.12.2024: ㈜카카오모빌리티의 콜차단 시지남용 건, 과징금 확정 (151억 원) Press release of an authority
- KFTC-Pressehinweis (KO, PDF), 17.12.2024: endgültige Festsetzung der Geldbuße nach Nettomethode Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 4 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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11 Dec 2024 Hipolabor Farmacêutica Ltda., Sanval Comércio e Indústria Ltda., Comercial Cirúrgica Rioclarense Ltda. u. a. (5 Unternehmen)CADE: hub-and-spoke cartel in medicines – BRL 45.3m on five companies €7.15m
The CADE Tribunal convicted five companies of a cartel in public tenders for medicines and in private pharmaceutical sales which, according to CADE, operated at least from 2007 to 2011 in states including Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Bahia and Pernambuco; besides direct price-fixing between manufacturers, some manufacturers facilitated collusion between distributors (hub-and-spoke cartel). The fines on the companies total 45,328,574.05 BRL (Hipolabor Farmacêutica 15,741,025.02; Sanval 12,191,091.60; Comercial Cirúrgica Rioclarense 11,952,437.72; Rhamis Distribuidora Farmacêutica 3,585,615.18; Macromed 1,858,404.53 BRL). Proceedings against several other parties were closed for lack of evidence or because settlements had been fulfilled. The amount and the facts have not been confirmed against the primary source.
Manufacturers must neither organise nor facilitate price coordination between their distributors; acting as the "hub" is itself a cartel infringement.
Hub-and-spoke collusion between manufacturers and distributors in tenders
- Authority / court
- Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE), Tribunal Administrativo
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 20 I–IV i. V. m. Art. 21 I, II, III, VIII Lei nº 8.884/1994, entsprechend Art. 36 I–IV, § 3 I a, c, d Lei nº 12.529/2011; Bemessung nach Art. 37 Lei nº 12.529/2011
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not set out here.
- Published
- 12 Dec 2024
Original amount 45,328,574.05 BRL, converted at the ECB reference rate of 11 Dec 2024.
- Diário Oficial da União, 18.12.2024, Seção 1, S. 92: Ata da 241ª Sessão Ordinária de Julgamento (11.12.2024), PA nº 08012.002222/2011-09 Official register or notice
- CADE, 12.12.2024: Tribunal do Cade condena cartel no setor de medicamentos Press release of an authority
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4 Dec 2024 Air Caraïbes (mit Groupe Dubreuil Aéro, Groupe Dubreuil); K Finance (Mutter von Air Antilles/CAIRE); Miles PlusCaribbean inter-island flights: EUR 14.57 million for Air Caraïbes and Air Antilles cartel €14.6m
Between 2015 and 2019, Air Caraïbes and Air Antilles (Compagnie Aérienne Inter Régionale Express, CAIRE), with the involvement of Miles Plus (Aérogestion), coordinated in four agreements on capacity cuts, the allocation of flight slots and prices and fare conditions on inter-island routes in the Caribbean. The Autorité de la concurrence (French Competition Authority) imposed EUR 13 million jointly on Air Caraïbes, Groupe Dubreuil Aéro and Groupe Dubreuil, EUR 1.5 million on K Finance as parent company of the insolvent CAIRE, and EUR 70,000 on Miles Plus.
Even in small regional markets shaped by a few providers, agreements on capacity and fares are serious cartel infringements.
Agreements on capacity and prices between competitors
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. L. 420-1 Code de commerce; Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Transport, logistics and shipping
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement procedure for the Groupe Dubreuil companies and Miles Plus; no fine was imposed on CAIRE, which is in liquidation, or on its direct parent company owing to inability to pay.
- Published
- 4 Dec 2024
- Autorité de la concurrence, Liste des décisions et avis (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Enforcement database of an authority
Checked against the official source on 7 Oct 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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29 Nov 2024 Saubermacher Dienstleistungs-Aktiengesellschaft, Trüger Recycling- und Transport-GesmbH, pink robin gmbhWaste cartel: €7.085m fine on Saubermacher, Trüger and pink robin €7.09m
The Kartellgericht (Cartel Court) fined Saubermacher Dienstleistungs-Aktiengesellschaft, Trüger Recycling- und Transport-GesmbH and pink robin gmbh 7.085 million EUR for taking part in a nationwide cartel in waste collection (July 2002 to March 2021). The participants fixed prices, shared markets and exchanged information on public and private tenders; the three companies' periods of involvement differed in length. Starting from 15.58 million EUR, the Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde (BWB, Federal Competition Authority) granted a reduction for the consensual termination of the proceedings.
Tacitly leaving each other's home territories alone (home-market principle) is a hardcore restriction and is punished like an express agreement.
Market sharing and price fixing between competitors
- Authority / court
- Oberlandesgericht Wien als Kartellgericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 Abs. 1 KartG und Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV; § 29 Z 1 lit. a und d KartG
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Repeat case
- no
- Mitigating circumstances
- Reduction for the consensual termination of the proceedings (starting amount 15.58 million EUR).
- Published
- 8 May 2026
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Direct link
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28 Nov 2024 Pierre Cardin und AhlersPierre Cardin and Ahlers: €5.74m for restricting cross-border sales €5.74m
According to the European Commission's findings, the fashion house Pierre Cardin and its largest licensee Ahlers prevented other licensees and their customers from 2008 to 2021 from selling Pierre Cardin clothing outside their licensed territories or to discounters, in order to secure absolute territorial protection for Ahlers. The fines amount to 2,237,000 EUR (Pierre Cardin) and 3,500,000 EUR (Ahlers), 5,737,000 EUR in total; one party was granted a reduction after its claim of inability to pay had been assessed.
Licensing agreements must not be used to shield markets from sales from other Member States or to discounters.
Territorial protection and sales restrictions in licensing agreements
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV; Art. 53 EWR-Abkommen
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- Reduction for one party on grounds of claimed inability to pay (point 35 of the 2006 Fining Guidelines).
- Published
- 28 Nov 2024
- Commission fines Pierre Cardin and its licensee Ahlers €5.7 million for restricting cross-border sales of clothing (IP/24/6104) Press release of an authority
- Presscorner-Schnittstelle, Volltext IP/24/6104 Press release of an authority
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22 Nov 2024 Viatris Inc.Viatris: 1.5 million GBP – key staff replaced despite hold-separate order €1.8m
During the review of the sale of the European rights to the hormone products Duphaston and Femoston to Theramex, an Initial Enforcement Order was in force. Viatris replaced members of the UK management without the consent of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and subsequently failed to report the breach; the CMA imposed 1.5 million GBP.
During a merger review, staffing decisions in the target business also require consent – and breaches must be reported immediately.
Standstill and interim obligations in merger proceedings (management, HR)
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Enterprise Act 2002, s. 72(2) (Initial Enforcement Order), s. 94A
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
Original amount 1,500,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 22 Nov 2024.
- CMA: Viatris fined £1.5m for failure to comply with CMA order (22.11.2024) Press release of an authority
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21 Nov 2024 „Техномат-Меркурий“ ЕООД, ТПКИ „Здравоход“ (Rechtsnachfolger ТПКИ „Комфорт“), „Кавалер Юнион 2001“ ЕООДWork shoe cartel in tenders – 2.75 million leva for three manufacturers €1.4m
The Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) found that three suppliers had fixed prices and shared markets in public tenders by various contracting authorities for professional work shoes (Art. 15 ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act, Art. 101 TFEU). Sanctions: 1,678,897 leva (Technomat-Merkuriy), 657,675 leva (disabled persons’ cooperative Zdravohod) and 409,424 leva (Kavaler Union 2001), a total of 2,745,996 leva. Appeals have been lodged against the decision.
Coordination on prices or on ‘who gets which contract’ is a hardcore cartel carrying a risk of millions, even among small niche suppliers.
Competition law in tenders
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 15 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und 2 ZZK; Art. 101 Abs. 1 lit. a und c AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Other
Original amount 2,745,996 BGN, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Nov 2024.
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 1254 от 21.11.2024; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 2 · Direct link
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14 Nov 2024 MetaMeta: €797.72m fine for tying Facebook Marketplace to Facebook €797.7m
The European Commission found that Meta abused its dominant position in personal social networks and in display advertising on social media: its classified ads service Facebook Marketplace was automatically linked to Facebook, and other classified ads providers advertising on Facebook and Instagram were subjected to unfair terms allowing Meta to use their ad-related data for Marketplace. In addition to the fine of €797.72m, Meta must end the conduct and must not repeat it.
Dominant platforms must not forcibly tie add-on services to their core product or exploit data from advertisers who are also competitors for their own offerings.
Tying and use of competitors' data by dominant companies
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 102 AEUV; Art. 54 EWR-Abkommen
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 14 Nov 2024
- Commission fines Meta €797.72 million over abusive practices benefitting Facebook Marketplace (IP/24/5801) Press release of an authority
- Presscorner-Schnittstelle, Volltext IP/24/5801 Press release of an authority
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6 Nov 2024 Strabag AG (Köln); Kemna Bau Andreae GmbH & Co. KG als Kronzeuge ohne BußgeldBundeskartellamt: 2.79 million EUR against Strabag over collusion on Cologne's Zoobrücke €2.79m
In the tender for the refurbishment of the Zoobrücke bridge in Cologne in early 2017, employees agreed that one company would submit a cover bid so that the other would win the contract, in return for a later compensation payment. According to the Bundeskartellamt's findings, Strabag received a fine of 2.79 million EUR in a settlement procedure; the proceedings against Kemna were discontinued as it was the leniency applicant.
A single rigged tender is enough for a fine and criminal proceedings – compensation payments between bidders are a clear red flag.
Cover bids and compensation payments in individual tenders
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement
- Liability of senior managers
- Bid rigging is also a criminal offence for the individuals involved under Section 298 StGB (German Criminal Code); their prosecution is a matter for the public prosecutor.
- Published
- 6 Nov 2024
- Geldbuße gegen die Strabag AG wegen Absprachen bei der Sanierung der Zoobrücke in Köln Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 3 · Direct link
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31 Oct 2024 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (Teva-Gruppe)EU: 462.6 million EUR against Teva for patent misuse and disparaging a competing medicine €462.6m
Teva abused its dominant position for the MS medicine Copaxone: it artificially extended patent protection by filing staggered divisional applications with the EPO and strategically withdrawing them, and spread misleading statements about an authorised competing product among physicians and decision-makers. Seven Member States were affected over periods of four to nine years.
Communications by sales representatives and medical affairs about competing products must be substantiated and objective; patent strategies of dominant companies require competition law review.
Disparaging statements about competing products to healthcare professionals
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 102 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Commission fines Teva €462.6 million over misuse of the patent system and disparagement (IP/24/5581) Press release of an authority
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31 Oct 2024 VAFO PRAHA, s.r.o.ÚOHS: CZK 120m fine for VAFO PRAHA over resale price maintenance for pet food €4.74m
The Czech competition authority ÚOHS (Office for the Protection of Competition) fined the pet food manufacturer VAFO PRAHA 120,121,000 CZK in a settlement procedure (narovnání). From January 2013 to September 2021 the company fixed minimum retail prices with 30 customers for dog and cat food of the Brit and Carnilove brands, monitored compliance and also responded to deviations with sanctions, infringing the Czech Competition Act and Article 101 TFEU; further implementation of such agreements was prohibited.
Sales teams must never enforce or monitor recommended retail prices; an effective compliance programme reduces the fine but does not replace clean distribution practice.
Resale price maintenance in distribution
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 3 Abs. 1, § 7 Abs. 1, § 22a Abs. 1 lit. b und Abs. 2 Zákon č. 143/2001 Sb. (ZOHS); Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Mitigating circumstances
- Voluntary termination before proceedings began and notice to customers that they set their prices freely; cooperation beyond the legal obligation; a compliance programme assessed as sufficiently effective; 20% reduction for the settlement.
Original amount 120,121,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 31 Oct 2024.
- ÚOHS, Rozhodnutí č. j. ÚOHS-41386/2024/871, sp. zn. ÚOHS-S0480/2022/KD, Brno 31. 10. 2024 Decision of an authority
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30 Oct 2024 Valio OyValio: EUR 600,000 for breaching a merger condition in the Heinon Tukku deal €600,000
The Markkinaoikeus (Market Court, Finland) imposed a penalty payment of 600,000 EUR on the dairy company Valio Oy for breaching the key condition attached to the 2021 clearance of its acquisition of the wholesaler Heinon Tukku: staff responsible for pricing and profitability of Valio products had access to competitors' sensitive purchase prices for about a year. The authority had sought 900,000 EUR; the Korkein hallinto-oikeus (Supreme Administrative Court) dismissed its appeal on 16 January 2026.
Behavioural conditions attached to a merger clearance must be implemented technically – confidentiality undertakings do not replace access restrictions.
Implementing behavioural conditions from merger clearances
- Authority / court
- Markkinaoikeus (Marktgericht) auf Antrag des KKV; bestätigt durch Korkein hallinto-oikeus
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Kilpailulaki (948/2011) 25 § und 28 § (Vollzug entgegen einer Freigabeauflage), 13 §
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Culpability
- negligent
- Mitigating circumstances
- Temporary, negligent breach; the other conditions were complied with.
- Markkinaoikeus, päätös nro 607/2024, 30.10.2024 (Kilpailu- ja kuluttajavirasto / Valio Oy) Court decision
- Korkein hallinto-oikeus 16.1.2026/97 (ECLI:FI:KHO:2026:T97) Court decision
- KKV: Korkein hallinto-oikeus vahvisti markkinaoikeuden Valiolle määräämän 600 000 euron seuraamusmaksun Press release of an authority
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29 Oct 2024 Schneider Electric; Legrand; Rexel; SoneparElectrical equipment: EUR 470 million against Schneider Electric, Legrand, Rexel and Sonepar €470m
The Autorité de la concurrence (French Competition Authority) sanctioned two vertical price agreements in the distribution of low-voltage electrical equipment: Schneider Electric with the wholesalers Rexel and Sonepar (13 December 2012 to 6 September 2018) and Legrand with Rexel (24 May 2012 to 14 September 2015). Through the system of so-called “dérogations”, i.e. special discounts granted by the manufacturers on the standard purchase price for particular end customers, the distributors’ prices to those customers were in effect fixed. Fines: Schneider Electric 207 million, Rexel 124 million, Sonepar 96 million and Legrand 43 million EUR.
Special discounts for individual customers or projects must not be used to set the distributor’s price to the end customer.
Resale price maintenance via discount and special-terms systems
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. L. 420-1 Code de commerce; Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 30 Oct 2024
- Autorité de la concurrence, Liste des décisions et avis (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Enforcement database of an authority
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23 Oct 2024 České dráhy (ČD) und Österreichische Bundesbahnen (ÖBB)ČD and ÖBB: €48.65m for collusion against a new rail competitor €48.7m
According to the European Commission's findings, the Czech and Austrian rail incumbents coordinated from 2012 to 2016 on sales of used ÖBB long-distance carriages so that the new entrant RegioJet could not buy them, including through coordinated timing, rigged sales procedures and exchanges of confidential bidder information. The fines amount to 31,940,000 EUR for ČD and 16,712,000 EUR for ÖBB, which received a 45% reduction as leniency applicant (48,652,000 EUR in total).
State-owned companies, too, must not coordinate asset sales with competitors to keep new entrants out of the market.
Coordination between competitors in sales and bidding procedures
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Transport, logistics and shipping
- Mitigating circumstances
- ÖBB: 45% reduction under the leniency programme.
- Published
- 23 Oct 2024
- Commission fines České dráhy and Österreichische Bundesbahnen €48.7 million over collusion to exclude common competitor (IP/24/5425) Press release of an authority
- Presscorner-Schnittstelle, Volltext IP/24/5425 Press release of an authority
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16 Oct 2024 OGH: 100,000 EUR gun-jumping fine for premature start of a mask production joint venture €100,000
A textile company started operations with a joint venture (H* GmbH) for the production of protective masks on 24 April 2020, before the notifiable concentration had been cleared; the infringement lasted until 25 May 2020. The Cartel Court imposed a fine of 5,000 EUR; the OGH increased the fine to 100,000 EUR.
The standstill obligation applies even in emergencies such as the pandemic – a joint venture may only start operating after clearance.
Standstill obligation before clearance (gun-jumping), including in crisis situations
- Authority / court
- Oberster Gerichtshof als Kartellobergericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- § 29 Z 1 lit a iVm § 17 Abs 1 KartG 2005
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Other
- Culpability
- intentional
- OGH 16 Ok 4/24k vom 16.10.2024 Court decision
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16 Oct 2024 OGH: 65,000 EUR fine against joinery over cover bids and market sharing €65,000
From February 2011 to October 2016, a construction and furniture joinery anonymised in the decision (together with its general partner GmbH) participated in agreements on successful bidders, cover bids, market sharing and information exchange in tenders in Lower Austria and Vienna. The Cartel Court imposed a fine of 55,000 EUR only for 26 infringements up to June 2016; the OGH upheld the appeals of the BWB and the Federal Cartel Prosecutor and set a fine of 65,000 EUR on a joint and several basis for the entire period.
Even small craft businesses are penalised for cover bids – "courtesy bids" among colleagues are competition law infringements.
Cover bids in tenders for craft trades
- Authority / court
- Oberster Gerichtshof als Kartellobergericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 Abs 1 KartG 2005, §§ 28, 29 KartG
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- OGH 16 Ok 6/23b vom 16.10.2024 Court decision
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7 Oct 2024 an Estonian waste management companyWaste management company must reduce excessive charges for moving waste containers Order
In 17 municipalities and towns with organised waste collection (16 price lists), an Estonian waste management company charged 8.33 to 20 EUR net per occasion for manually fetching containers over distances of 10 to 30 metres. The Estonian Competition Authority (Konkurentsiamet) considered this an abuse of a dominant position through excessively high prices and ordered the prices to be reduced to cost plus a reasonable profit by 31 October 2024.
Companies with exclusive waste collection rights in an area must also price additional services on a cost basis.
- Authority / court
- Konkurentsiamet (Estnische Wettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- § 16 Nr. 1, § 61¹ KonkS; § 28 Abs. 1 KorS
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Energy and utilities
- Konkurentsiamet, Wettbewerbsfälle (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Decision of an authority
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25 Sep 2024 a French sugar group and its UK subsidiaryCMA: GBP 25,000 fine for sugar group over incomplete response in merger review €29,885
In the in-depth review of a merger with another sugar business, the group provided only part of the board minutes and internal governance documents requested under a formal notice under section 109 of the Enterprise Act 2002, because, in the CMA's view, it read the scope of the notice in an untenably narrow way. The CMA imposed a fine of GBP 25,000; the statutory maximum at the time was GBP 30,000.
Answer information requests in merger control in full rather than on your own narrow reading – under the DMCCA the maximum penalty rises from GBP 30,000 to up to 1% of worldwide turnover.
Responding fully to formal information requests from authorities
- Authority / court
- Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- section 110 Enterprise Act 2002 (Nichtbefolgung eines Auskunftsverlangens nach section 109)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Published
- 26 Sep 2024
Original amount 25,000 GBP, converted at the ECB reference rate of 25 Sep 2024.
- CMA, Fälle (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Enforcement database of an authority
Checked against the official source on 3 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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24 Sep 2024 a French cured meats groupCured meats producer: EUR 900,000 for obstructing a competition authority inspection (under appeal) €900,000
During an inspection on 16 November 2023 as part of a cartel investigation in the cured meats sector, the investigators, according to the Autorité de la concurrence, knowingly received incorrect information from the company's management. The authority considered this an obstruction of the investigation creating a risk that evidence would be lost, and imposed EUR 900,000 jointly and severally on the three group companies concerned. The decision has been appealed. The decision is not final.
During inspections by competition authorities, management and the legal department must cooperate truthfully; even knowingly incorrect information given to investigators is punished as obstruction.
Correct conduct during dawn raids
- Authority / court
- Autorité de la concurrence
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Art. L. 464-2 V Abs. 2 Code de commerce (Behinderung von Ermittlungsmaßnahmen)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Liability of senior managers
- According to the authority, the obstruction originated from the company's management level; it took this into account when setting the fine.
- Published
- 9 Oct 2024
- Autorité de la concurrence, Liste des décisions et avis (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Enforcement database of an authority
Checked against the official source on 7 Oct 2026 · Version 2 · Company name anonymised since 24 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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24 Sep 2024 a Slovenian vehicle importerVehicle importer: 650,000 EUR settlement for collusion on workshop contracts €650,000
In 2021, the Slovenian Competition Protection Agency (AVK) had found that a Slovenian importer of a car brand and four car dealerships had infringed the cartel prohibition in the repair and maintenance of vehicles of that brand for public contracting authorities. In a settlement procedure under the new competition act, the importer withdrew its action and received an administrative sanction of 650,000 EUR, payable in three instalments.
Authorised dealer networks must not coordinate on public contracts, even where contracting authorities require brand workshops.
Collusion between manufacturer and dealer network in tenders
- Authority / court
- Javna agencija Republike Slovenije za varstvo konkurence (AVK)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 6 ZPOmK-1 bzw. Art. 5 ZPOmK-2, Art. 101 AEUV; Vergleich nach Art. 95 ZPOmK-2
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Automotive
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement with a reduction of up to 20%; termination after the inspection, cooperation.
- Published
- 30 Sep 2024
- AVK, Entscheidungen (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 5 · Company name anonymised since 24 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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24 Sep 2024 a Norwegian provider of emptying and flushing servicesEmptying and flushing services: acquisition of a regional competitor prohibited Order
Konkurransetilsynet (Norwegian Competition Authority) prohibited the acquisition of a regional competitor by the service provider because the merger would have significantly impeded competition in emptying and flushing services (including emptying septic tanks and separators and cleaning pipes and tanks) in the former county of Hordaland, where the two companies were each other's closest competitors. The Konkurranseklagenemnda (Competition Appeals Tribunal) rejected the provider's appeal on 31 January 2025 and upheld the prohibition.
Acquisitions of regional competitors in niche markets can also be prohibited if they remove the competitive pressure between close rivals.
- Authority / court
- Konkurransetilsynet
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- § 16 konkurranseloven
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Other
- Published
- 24 Sep 2024
- Konkurransetilsynet, Entscheidungen (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Company name anonymised since 24 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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23 Sep 2024 a dominant Austrian postal operatorAustria: EUR 9.2m fine on a postal operator for discriminatory bulk mail discounts €9.2m
The Kartellgericht (Cartel Court) fined an Austrian postal operator 9.2 million EUR for abusing its dominant position in addressed bulk mail from 2017 to early 2022: consolidators received worse discount scales, discounts or annual bonuses than other large customers for the same annual volume, and the discounts agreed with large customers were subject to a confidentiality obligation. The fine followed an already final cease-and-desist order obtained by a consolidator; the company acknowledged the infringement in a settlement.
Dominant companies must design discount schemes so that comparable customers, including consolidators, are not disadvantaged, and must not shield terms behind confidentiality clauses.
Abuse of market power through discount schemes
- Authority / court
- Oberlandesgericht Wien als Kartellgericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- § 5 KartG und Art. 102 AEUV; § 29 Abs. 1 Z 1 lit. a und d KartG
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Transport, logistics and shipping
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Repeat case
- no
- Mitigating circumstances
- Reduction for the consensual termination of the proceedings (settlement); damage already made good.
- Published
- 25 Feb 2025
- RIS, Judikatur Justiz (Suche) (Entscheidung 2024) Court decision
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Company name anonymised since 23 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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23 Sep 2024 a French publishing groupWEKO orders a French publishing group to grant a Swiss bookseller domestic terms (under appeal) Order
A French publishing group charged a Swiss bookseller considerably higher purchase prices for direct supply in France than are customary there, although the bookseller had no reasonable alternatives. The Swiss Competition Commission (WEKO) found an abuse of relative market power and ordered the publishing group to grant the bookseller the sales and discount terms applicable in France for direct purchases, less admissible additional costs for the Swiss market; the publishing group bears the procedural costs of CHF 254,865. According to WEKO (as of March 2025), an appeal against the decision was pending before the Federal Administrative Court.
Since relative market power was introduced, foreign suppliers can also be required to grant dependent Swiss buyers their domestic terms.
Relative market power and refusal to supply on foreign terms
- Authority / court
- Wettbewerbskommission (WEKO)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 7 Abs. 1 und 2 lit. g KG (relative Marktmacht), Art. 30 Abs. 1 KG
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Published
- 21 Nov 2024
- WEKO, Entscheide (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 2 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 23 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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18 Sep 2024 an agri-food groupAgri-food group: 21 million EUR for concealed takeover of two large bakeries upheld €21m
In 2013, an agri-food group acquired control of two large Slovak bakeries, but had one of them held covertly by a third party for two years in order to circumvent the notification threshold; the authority had rejected an earlier takeover in 2011. The Council of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic (PMÚ SR) upheld the fine of 21 million EUR; final since 27 September 2024.
Staggered acquisitions or acquisitions concealed via third parties are aggregated; circumvention structures increase the fine.
- Authority / court
- Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (PMÚ SR)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Merger control
- Legal basis
- Slowakisches Wettbewerbsschutzgesetz (Nichtanmeldung und Vollzug eines Zusammenschlusses)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 8 Oct 2024
- PMÚ SR, Startseite mit Meldungen (Entscheidung 2024) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 4 · Company name anonymised since 18 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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13 Sep 2024 a Danish sales subsidiary of a fashion groupFashion distributor: DKK 12m for sharing price and discount plans with retailers €1.61m
The sales subsidiary accepted a criminal fine of 12,000,000 DKK for exchanging confidential information on prices, discounts, sale dates and quantities between 2014 and 2018 with two retailers, with which it also competed at retail level through its own stores.
Manufacturers with their own retail stores must not share price, discount or sale plans with their retailers in dual distribution.
Information exchange in dual distribution (manufacturers with own retail)
- Authority / court
- National enhed for Særlig Kriminalitet (NSK) nach Entscheidung des Konkurrencerådet
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Konkurrenceloven § 23 stk. 1 nr. 1 og 14, stk. 4, jf. § 6 stk. 1 og 3; Art. 101 Abs. 1 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- Willingness to accept the fine following the judgment of the Sø- og Handelsretten (Danish Maritime and Commercial High Court) of 6 May 2024.
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not reported here.
- Published
- 17 Sep 2024
Original amount 12,000,000 DKK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 13 Sep 2024.
- KFST, Entscheidungen im Wettbewerbsbereich (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Company name anonymised since 13 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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12 Sep 2024 a Croatian retail chainCroatia: EUR 132,000 fine on a retail chain over unfair practices towards suppliers €132,000
The Croatian Competition Agency (AZTN) found that a Croatian retail chain, exploiting significant bargaining power, applied unfair trading practices to three food suppliers: prices were not agreed in writing before delivery, catalogue advertising was charged without clearly agreed prices and discounts, goods were returned for slow sales without a clear contractual basis and payment periods of 30 and 60 days were exceeded. Taking several mitigating circumstances into account, it set the fine at EUR 132,000.
Food retail buying teams should agree prices, promotional fees and returns in writing in advance and monitor statutory payment periods.
Fair contract terms and payment periods towards suppliers
- Authority / court
- Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (AZTN)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Zakon o zabrani nepoštenih trgovačkih praksi u lancu opskrbe hranom (ZNTP)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- The authority took several mitigating circumstances into account.
- Published
- 1 Oct 2024
- AZTN, Startseite mit Mitteilungen (Entscheidung 2024) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Company name anonymised since 12 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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9 Sep 2024 a Polish car importer and six companies from its dealer networkCar importer and dealer network: PLN 395.3m for market sharing and price fixing €92.4m
UOKiK found an agreement between a car importer and its dealer network that divided the market for passenger cars of the brand distributed by the importer in Poland and fixed prices. The fines on the companies total PLN 395,280,209.80: the importer PLN 331,021,284.64 and six dealer companies PLN 27,263,871.67, PLN 11,617,847.67, PLN 8,148,931.36, PLN 6,880,036.14, PLN 6,687,061.81 and PLN 3,661,176.51. Fines on natural persons are not included in the amount. The decision is not final.
Manufacturers and dealers must neither allocate customer territories among themselves nor coordinate resale prices; distribution rules should be checked under competition law in advance.
Territorial protection and price coordination in distribution networks
- Authority / court
- Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów (UOKiK)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 6 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und 3 ustawa o ochronie konkurencji i konsumentów; Art. 101 Abs. 1 lit. a und c AEUV; Art. 106 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und 2 ustawa o ochronie konkurencji i konsumentów
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Automotive
- Liability of senior managers
- Measures against individuals are not reported here.
Original amount 395,280,209.8 PLN, converted at the ECB reference rate of 9 Sep 2024.
- UOKiK, Entscheidungen des Präsidenten (Datenbank) (Entscheidung 2024) Enforcement database of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Company name anonymised since 9 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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21 Aug 2024 three Norwegian grocery chainsThree Norwegian grocery chains: NOK 4.93bn over price-hunter collaboration €421.7m
Konkurransetilsynet (Norwegian Competition Authority) fined Norway's three largest grocery chains a total of NOK 4,926,981,000: the first chain NOK 2,313,418,000, the second NOK 1,321,024,000, and the third chain and its parent company jointly and severally NOK 1,292,539,000. From January 2011 until at least April 2018, the chains had granted each other's price collectors ('prisjegere') extensive access to their stores, which increased price transparency between the competitors and weakened price competition; the authority also ordered the collaboration to end. The Konkurranseklagenemnda (Competition Appeals Tribunal) upheld the decision on 21 August 2025; according to the courts' official hearing list, Gulating lagmannsrett (Gulating Court of Appeal) will hear an action by the second chain challenging the validity of that ruling from 12 October 2026. The decision is not final.
Even seemingly harmless industry arrangements, such as mutual access for price collection, can amount to an anticompetitive exchange of information and trigger fines running into billions.
Exchange of information between competitors
- Authority / court
- Konkurransetilsynet
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 10 konkurranseloven, Art. 53 EWR-Abkommen; §§ 12 und 29 konkurranseloven; § 6 Abs. 1 EØS-konkurranseloven
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 21 Aug 2024
Original amount 4,926,981,000 NOK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 21 Aug 2024.
- Konkurransetilsynet, Entscheidungen (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Decision of an authority
- Norges domstoler, Terminliste (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Company name anonymised since 21 Aug 2026 · Direct link
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14 Aug 2024 a South African packaging paper manufacturerCompetition Tribunal: packaging paper manufacturer pays ZAR 21.3m over collusion allegations €1.07m
According to the Competition Commission's investigation, the manufacturer and a competitor had agreed since around 1998 not to compete for each other's traditional customers for packaging paper, coordinated bids and met regularly for that purpose; they also allegedly fixed prices when buying recyclable paper. In a settlement without admission of liability, the manufacturer pays ZAR 21,298,478.38 in three instalments and introduces a compliance programme.
Where companies are both suppliers and competitors, discussions must stay strictly confined to the supply relationship; agreements about 'traditional' customers amount to customer allocation.
Customer allocation and bid coordination between suppliers and competitors
- Authority / court
- Competition Tribunal of South Africa (auf Antrag der Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Competition Act 89 of 1998, s. 4(1)(b)(i), (ii) und (iii); ss. 49D, 58(1)(a)(iii), 58(1)(b)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement without admission of liability; payment in instalments.
- Published
- 14 Aug 2024
Original amount 21,298,478.38 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 14 Aug 2024.
Checked against the official source on 8 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 14 Aug 2026 · Direct link
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30 Jul 2024 a Dutch online hotel reservation platformSpain: 413 million EUR against online hotel reservation platform for abuse vis-à-vis hotels €413.2m
The platform, with a market share of 70–90 % in online hotel booking in Spain, imposed unfair conditions such as price parity clauses and obstructed other online travel agencies through ranking criteria. The CNMC imposed a fine of 413.24 million EUR.
Parity clauses and ranking advantages for exclusive partners are high-risk for dominant platforms.
- Authority / court
- Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 2 LDC, Art. 102 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Published
- 30 Jul 2024
- CNMC, Pressemitteilungen (Übersicht) (Entscheidung 2024) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 28 Sep 2026 · Version 5 · Company name anonymised since 30 Jul 2026 · Direct link
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26 Jul 2024 a Dutch manufacturer of inverters and chargersCompetition Tribunal: ZAR 14.2m against inverter maker over online resale price maintenance €718,378
The Dutch manufacturer of inverters and chargers allegedly ensured through its distributors, from March 2020 until at least the end of 2022, that online retailers granted no more than 10–15% discount on recommended retail prices, under threat of reduced discounts or cut-off of supply (minimum resale price maintenance). In a settlement without admission of liability, the manufacturer pays ZAR 14,232,581 and must introduce a compliance programme including training on resale price maintenance.
A price recommendation described as non-binding becomes prohibited resale price maintenance as soon as discount limits are enforced with threats concerning supply or terms.
Recommended retail prices and discount limits imposed on resellers
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Competition Tribunal of South Africa (auf Antrag der Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Competition Act 89 of 1998, s. 5(2); ss. 49D, 58(1)(a)(iii), 58(1)(b), 59
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement without admission of liability; the manufacturer pointed to the lack of after-sales support with cut-price offers.
- Published
- 17 Sep 2024
Original amount 14,232,581 ZAR, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Jul 2024.
Checked against the official source on 8 Oct 2026 · Company name anonymised since 26 Jul 2026 · Direct link